Exxon starts up new PE plant, delays cracker commissioning in Texas

ExxonMobil has started up the second of its two new PE plants in Texas recently, according to sources. This has immediately followed the start-up of the first PE plant on October 18.

The company’s new PE units are able to produce 650,000/ton of PE each.
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In the meantime, the company has delayed the start-up of its 1.5 million tons/year ethane cracker in Texas to the second half of 2018. The company was originally planning to commission the cracker in Q4; however, Hurricane Harvey, which hit the Texas Coast in late August, caused delays in the construction.

ExxonMobil is now aiming to finalize construction at the cracker in the beginning of 2018 while production is scheduled the start by the middle of next year.