Aerial shot of Singapore plant

ExxonMobil Progressing Expansion of Lubricant Base Stocks and Fuels Production in Singapore

  • Proposed multi-billion dollar expansion to increase global supply of Group II base stocks
  • Final investment decision expected in 2019, startup anticipated in 2023
  • Investment would increase refining and chemicals competitiveness of Singapore facility

Singapore, June 26, 2018 - SINGAPORE – ExxonMobil said today that it is progressing a multi-billion dollar project at its integrated manufacturing facility in Singapore to produce higher-value products and expand lubricant base stocks production to meet growing demand.

“Our Singapore facility is one of our largest integrated fuels, lubricant base stocks and chemicals production sites in the world. This investment would move it to the top quartile worldwide in terms of refining competitiveness and increases the site’s competitive advantage from crude cracking,” said Bryan Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company.

Should the project proceed, startup is anticipated in 2023.

ExxonMobil plans to develop and apply proprietary technologies that will convert lower-value byproducts into cleaner, higher-value products, including high-quality light and heavy lubricant base stocks. The advanced technology will also allow ExxonMobil to introduce a new, unique high viscosity Group II base stock into the marketplace. Designed to help blenders achieve greater formulation flexibility and simplify global testing, these products will allow customers in Asia-Pacific to cost-effectively blend a wide-range of finished lubricants.

The Singapore refinery expansion project will also result in the production of more clean fuels with lower sulfur content, including high-quality ExxonMobil Marine Fuels that comply with the International Maritime Organization’s 0.5 percent sulfur cap to help customers continue to meet the reduced sulfur limit.

“We’re working to ensure that we can reliably meet long-term customer needs with high-quality base stocks and fuels as demand in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow,” said Nick Berthiaux, vice president of ExxonMobil Basestocks and Specialties. “By introducing higher-value base stocks in larger volumes, we can meet the needs of an expanded customer base looking to satisfy more stringent industry requirements such as reducing emissions and improving fuel economy.”

The project represents the latest and most significant in a series of recent ExxonMobil investments in base stock production in Singapore. In 2017, ExxonMobil announced it would expand its Singapore refinery to upgrade production of its EHC™ Group II base stocks. Construction began in 2017 and commissioning is expected by early 2019. ExxonMobil also completed an expansion at the refinery in 2015.

“ExxonMobil has operated in Singapore for 125 years, and we continue to expand our business footprint here with strategic investments that will help meet the growing demand for cleaner, high-quality products in the region and the world,” said Gan Seow Kee, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd.

Beyond Singapore, ExxonMobil is nearing completion of its Rotterdam, Netherlands hydrocracker expansion project, which is expected to start up by the end of 2018. The Rotterdam refinery, in addition to the Baytown, Texas refinery, will produce EHC 120, and product availability is expected in 2019. Once the Rotterdam expansion is complete, ExxonMobil will be the only global Group I and Group II producer with significant manufacturing assets and global slates of products across three continents.

ExxonMobil will continue to produce AP/E CORE™ Group I base stocks at its Singapore refinery and remains committed to producing quality Group I base stocks for its customers around the world.

About ExxonMobil Basestocks

Building on its long tradition of technology leadership with its CORE™ Group I slate ExxonMobil continues to enhance the EHC™ product line to enable excellence for its customers. To this end, ExxonMobil technical experts designed the overall EHC product slate to meet performance requirements of a wide range of engine oil grades and other finished lubricant applications. The EHC Group II slate also allows customers to take advantage of industry base oil interchange and viscosity grade read-across guidelines to reduce formulation costs for many engine oil formulations.

About ExxonMobil in Singapore

ExxonMobil is one of Singapore’s largest foreign manufacturing investors with over S$25 billion in fixed assets investments. The Singapore affiliate, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, (EMAPPL) has manufacturing facilities that include refinery operations in Jurong and a world-scale petrochemical plant on Jurong Island. EMAPPL has a network of service stations under the Esso brand and is a supplier of cylinder cooking gas. EMAPPL also serves the commercial market with its industrial, aviation and marine fuels and lubricants. ExxonMobil and EMAPPL contribute to programs in Singapore to support sustainability through support for arts and education, the community and the environment. For more information, visit http://www.exxonmobil.com.sg or follow us on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/exxonmobil_sg.

Cautionary Statement: Statements relating to future plans, projections, events or conditions are forward-looking statements. Actual results, including project plans, efficiencies and market impacts could differ materially due to factors including: changes in oil, gas or petrochemical prices or other market or economic conditions affecting the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, including the scope and duration of economic recessions; changes in law or government regulation, including tax and environmental requirements; the outcome of commercial negotiations; changes in technical or operating conditions; actions of competitors; future demand growth; and other factors discussed under the heading "Factors Affecting Future Results" in the “Investors” section of our website and in Item 1A of ExxonMobil's 2016 Form 10-K. We assume no duty to update these statements as of any future date. The term “project” as used in this release does not necessarily have the same meaning as under SEC Rule 13q-1 relating to government payment reporting.


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