Construction Is Underway on an Addition to the Newest Texas Integrated Petrochemical Complex

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). Earlier this year BASF Fina Petrochemicals LP (Port Arthur, Texas), a joint venture company, started commercial operation of a grassroot ethylene plant in Port Arthur, Texas. This summer another joint venture company, Sabina Petrochemicals LLC, began construction of two new production units adjacent to the ethylene plant making this site the latest addition to Texas's list of integrated petrochemical complexes.

Sabina Petrochemicals is a joint venture of Shell Chemical Company (NYSE: RD)(Houston, Texas), Atofina Petrochemicals Incorporated (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and BASF Corporation (Mount Olive, New Jersey). The Sabina plant will consist of two production units: one producing approximately 900 million pounds per year of C4 Butadiene and the other being an indirect alkylation unit producing nearly 660 million pounds per year of Sabinate.

ABB Lummus Global Incorporated (Houston, Texas) is providing technology licensing and E+P+C/M services for the new plant. Engineering is now approaching 80% complete and construction is at approximately 5%. Startup for the new plant is planned for late 2003.