Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. LP (The Woodlands, Tex.; www.cpchem.com) held its second groundbreaking ceremony for its U.S. Gulf Coast (USGC) Petrochemicals Project at the construction site in Old Ocean, Tex. The construction includes two world-scale polyethylene units that will each produce 500,000 metric tons/year (m.t./yr) of plastic resin. With this groundbreaking, Chevron Phillips Chemical maintains its first-mover position within the petrochemicals industry to engineer and build world-scale ethylene and derivatives facilities in the U.S. based upon the successful development of shale resources.
The resin from the polyethylene units will be used for a variety of products, including new flexible packaging options that extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, as well as in the creation of plastic piping, merchandise bags, and bottles. In addition to constructing the production facilities, 45 miles of railroad track will be installed on-site to hold and transport the output of these units.
The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) phase of the two polyethylene units is being executed through Gulf Coast Partners, a partnership between Technip USA Inc. and Zachry Industrial.