ExxonMobil Confirms Plans to Expand Crude Unit at Beaumont Refinery

ExxonMobil Corp. announced Tuesday that it will add flexibility to process light crudes at its 345,000-barrel per day (bpd) refinery in Beaumont, Texas, by expanding the facility's crude distillation unit. The project, which the company says is justified largely as a result of abundant, affordable supplies of U.S. light crude from shale, will increase the refinery's production capacity by approximately 20,000 bpd.

"This project will grow our capacity and flexibility to process light crude oils," said Jerry Wascom, president of ExxonMobil Refining and Supply Co., in a press release. "Building on the recent increases in domestic oil and gas production, this investment further strengthens the competitiveness of the company's strategic assets in North America and enhances U.S. energy security."

"ExxonMobil continues to strengthen its portfolio of world-class refining assets," stated Fernando Salazar, refinery manager, ExxonMobil's Beaumont refinery. "The expanded crude unit at Beaumont refinery supports the company's position as a leader in the global energy market by improving the production slate, and enabling improvement in the product yield in a highly energy-efficient manner that will further strengthen the industry-leading position of our assets."

Tuesday's announcement confirms a Reuters news report from last week regarding the project. Originally built in 1903 along the Neches River in response to the Spindletop oil discovery two years earlier, the company's Beaumont refinery now employs approximately 2,000 people and more than 1,000 contractors, according to the ExxonMobil website. In addition to the refinery, ExxonMobil's Beaumont operations include a chemicals plant and a lube plant.