SABIC, ExxonMobil start commercial operation of Texas JV project

LONDON (ICIS)–SABIC and joint venture partner ExxonMobil have started commercial operation of the large-scale cracker and petrochemicals complex the two firms have been developing on the US Gulf Coast, they said on Thursday.

SABIC announced that the project, based in Corpus Christi, Texas, had started commercial operation in a stock exchange filing, with revenues from the project expected to contribute to the firm’s first-quarter results this year.

The complex comprises a 1.8m tonne/year cracker, along with two polyethylene production units with a combined capacity of 1.3m tonnes/year, and a 1.1m tonne/year ethylene glycols unit.

Speaking at an American Chemistry Council event in November 2021, ExxonMobil president Karen McKee projected that the complex would enter the start-up phase before the end of the year, and that the project was under budget.

The polymers and glycols units had reached mechanical completion as of mid-2021.

“The project supports SABIC’s global growth strategy, diversifying its feedstock sources and strengthening its petrochemical manufacturing presence in North America,” SABIC said in the filing.

Monoethylene glycol market sources heard of export cargoes loading from the complex this week.

Picture source: Richard Drew/AP/Shutterstock

(Update adds ExxonMobil confirmation in the first paragraph)