ExxonMobil has reached a final investment decision and started construction on a new unit at its Beaumont, Texas refinery that will boost crude refining capacity by more than 65%—by some 250,000 barrels per day. Current capacity is 366,000 barrels per day.

The BLADE (Beaumont Light Atmospheric Distillation Expansion) project will build a third crude unit within the facility’s existing footprint. The new unit will expand light crude oil refining, supported by the increased crude oil production in the Permian Basin.

With access to terminals, railways, pipelines and waterways nearby, the Beaumont refinery is strategically positioned to benefit from Permian production growth. The addition of a third crude unit in Beaumont will enhance the refinery’s competitive position and truly establish it as a leader in the U.S. refining industry.

—Bryan Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels and Lubricants Company

Startup of the new unit is anticipated by 2022. The project is expected to create up to 1,850 jobs during construction and between 40 and 60 permanent jobs once completed.

ExxonMobil previously announced plans to build and expand manufacturing facilities in the US Gulf region as part of its Growing the Gulf initiative. Growing the Gulf projects include expansion of Beaumont’s polyethylene capacity by 65%; a new unit in Beaumont that increases production of ultra-low sulfur fuels; and a new 1.5 million ton-per-year ethane cracker at the company’s integrated Baytown chemical and refining complex in Texas.

ExxonMobil and SABIC have also created a new joint venture to advance development of the Gulf Coast Growth Ventures project, a 1.8 million metric ton ethane cracker currently planned for construction in San Patricio County, Texas.

ExxonMobil’s integrated operations in Beaumont include a 366,000 barrel-per-day capacity refinery, as well as chemical, lubricants and polyethylene plants. It produces 2.8 billion gallons of gasoline annually.

ExxonMobil has approximately 2,100 employees in the Beaumont area and its operations account for approximately 1 in every 7 jobs in the region. The Beaumont refining facilities were originally built along the banks of the Neches River in 1903, during the Spindletop oil boom.