ExxonMobil celebrates the opening of its butyl and resins plants in Singapore

• Plants help meet expected demand growth in the Asia Pacific region
• Highly skilled and talented Singapore employees play significant role in the success of ExxonMobil’s regional growth plans
• New facilities feature modern technology including a robotic arm and driverless forklifts

SINGAPORE — ExxonMobil said today it has officially opened two new performance derivative chemical plants at its Singapore integrated refining and petrochemical complex, the company’s single-largest production facility globally.

The 90,000-tonne-per-year resins plant and 140,000-tonne-per-year butyl plant, expand on ExxonMobil’s flexible steam cracking capability in Singapore, providing a range of feedstocks for upgraded specialty products to meet growing long-term demand in the Asia Pacific region.

“Expansion projects like this enable us to better serve the Asia Pacific region, the key growth market globally for these specialty chemicals. These two new specialty chemical plants will strengthen ExxonMobil’s competitive manufacturing base to help meet market demand for these high-performance products,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company. “Our regional growth plans include increasing the number of these types of facilities and providing new opportunities for Singapore employees, further demonstrating our continued commitment to Singapore.”  

ExxonMobil’s new Escorez™ hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins plant is the world’s largest, meeting long-term demand growth for hot-melt adhesives used in packaging and diapers. The plant started up in December 2017 and has been in commercial production for over a year.

The butyl plant produces premium halobutyl rubber, used by tire manufacturers to maintain wheel inflation and boost fuel economy. Keeping tires properly inflated can help save about a billion gallons (or 3.8 billion liters) of fuel and result in an estimated emissions reduction of eight million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. This is equivalent to the emissions of about 2.5 million cars worldwide – or about four times the total number of cars in Singapore.

The plant began on-specification butyl production in May 2018, and is expected to start commercial production in the second half of 2019. During this interim period, ExxonMobil has been working with key customers on the qualification of the product to meet their specifications.

Construction of the multi-billion dollar expansion project was completed safely and on schedule. The project employed more than 5,500 contract workers at the peak of construction. The plants add 140 jobs to ExxonMobil’s existing workforce of more than 2,500 at its Singapore manufacturing complex, raising the total number of its employees in Singapore to more than 4,000.

“Highly-Skilled employees play a critical role in the success of ExxonMobil’s regional growth projects,” said Gan Seow Kee, chairman and managing director of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. “We are committed to enhance the competitiveness of our business in the Asia Pacific region by investing in our facilities and meeting the market demand for high-performance products, while also providing additional opportunities for our employees here and beyond.”

The plants feature modern technology, including a robotic arm which automatically packs a 34kg-butyl bale every seven seconds, and a driverless forklift, which automates product movement in the warehouse.

“The latest facilities underscore the company's ongoing commitment to disciplined, long-term investments that add to the competitiveness of our Singapore operations and help meet the needs of the region and our customers,” added Gan.

The company also recently announced that it has made a final investment decision on a multi-billion dollar expansion of its integrated manufacturing complex in Singapore, to convert fuel oil and other bottom-of-the-barrel crude products into higher-value lube base stocks and distillates.

“This investment marks another milestone in ExxonMobil’s integrated manufacturing presence in Singapore, and reflects our position as a preferred location for the manufacture of high value-added chemicals for the region,” said Beh Swan Gin, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board. “We are grateful for ExxonMobil’s confidence in Singapore and for the opportunities that the company will create for Singaporeans as it continues to expand its footprint to pursue the growth in Asia.”

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 www.exxonmobil.com.sg or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/exxonmobil_sg

About ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is one of the largest refiners and marketers of petroleum products, and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. For more information, visit www.exxonmobil.com or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/exxonmobil.

Cautionary Statement:

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