ExxonMobil said Thursday it successfully started an expansion of its Beaumont refinery that added 250,000 barrels per day of capacity to one of the largest refining and petrochemical complexes on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Connected by pipeline to Exxon’s growing crude production in Permian Basin, the largest refinery expansion since 2012 will help meet growing demand for affordable, reliable energy. The expansion project that started in 2019 cost $2 billion and came online on time and on budget. Total capacity at the refinery is now 630,000 b/d to make it one of the largest in the U.S.
“ExxonMobil maintained its commitment to the Beaumont expansion even through the lows of the pandemic, knowing that consumer demand would return and new capacity would be critical in the post-pandemic economic recovery,” Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil product solutions, said. “The new crude unit enables us to produce even more transportation fuels at a time when demand is surging. This expansion is the equivalent of a medium-sized refinery….”