Westlake to hike ethylene output at Lake Charles

29 Sep '11

1 min read

Westlake Chemical Corporation announced an expansion program to include increasing the ethane-based ethylene capacity at Lake Charles, LA, and the evaluation of expansion options and the upgrade of ethylene production facilities at Calvert City, KY in order to capitalize on new low cost ethane and other "light" feedstocks being developed in North America.

As part of this program each of the company's two light feedstock ethylene crackers in Lake Charles will be expanded. These expansions will commence as planned maintenance turnarounds occur in order to provide ethylene for existing internal derivatives units and the merchant market.

The company has projected that it will raise the production capacity of ethylene to 226,800 tons / annum by 2014, while also increasing feedstock flexibility. It is expected this project would be completed by late 2012 and a second expansion concluded by the end of 2014.

At Calvert City, the company is evaluating conversion from propane to ethane feedstock that is becoming available from increasing North American gas liquids reserves from sources such as shale gas. Additionally, expansion options are being evaluated for the site and engineering and design studies are underway.

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