Chevron Corporation has submitted an environmental permit application to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality for the construction of a premium base oil facility at the company's Pascagoula refinery. The facility is expected to produce approximately 25,000 barrels per day of premium base oil for use in manufacturing high-performance lubricants, such as motor oils for consumer and commercial uses. Construction is anticipated to begin in early 2009 and conclude in 2011.
"Subject to obtaining the required permits and making a final investment decision, it is our intention to build this state-of-the art facility at Pascagoula," said Dale Walsh, president, Chevron Global Lubricants. "Demand for premium base oils is increasing in the U.S. and around the world. These oils are the primary ingredients in the production of top-tier motor oils needed to improve fuel economy, lower tail-pipe emissions and extend the period between oil changes."
Added Walsh, "Chevron was the first company to produce and market premium base oil. With additional manufacturing from the Pascagoula facility, Chevron would become the world's largest producer of this product."
"This project represents another significant Chevron investment in Mississippi," said Roland Kell, general manager, Pascagoula refinery. "We have the expertise and resources necessary to plan, build and safely operate projects of this magnitude."
The base oil facility would utilize Chevron's revolutionary ISODEWAXING(R) technology. Commercialized in 1993, ISODEWAXING(R) results in higher yields and enables a broader range of crude oil feedstocks to be used in the manufacturing of base oils. More than two thirds of the world's premium base oil is manufactured with this technology.
As Chevron's largest wholly-owned refinery, the Pascagoula facility has a work force of 1,540 and processes up to 330,000 barrels per day of crude oil to produce gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other products. The refinery commenced operation in 1963.
