The Plaza Group, the exclusive nonene marketer of Equilon Enterprises LLC, has announced an increased supply of the chemical as a result of Equilon’s 20 percent capacity increase at its Anacortes, Wash., plant. The expansion brings the plant’s nonene capacity to approximately 110 million pounds per year, an increase that follows the addition of 30 million pounds per year only two years ago.
The production increase will allow The Plaza Group to meet the increasing demand for nonene, a chemical intermediate used in the production of plasticizers, detergents and coatings. The increased demand stems from product shut-downs at other plants, including the discontinuation of the product at Enichem’s plant in Italy earlier this year and at BP’s former Arco plant in the United States last year.
Randy Velarde, President of The Plaza Group, commented on the capacity increase, saying, “This increase, along with our existing multiple supply point structure for nonene, will ensure our ability to continue to meet the market’s growing demand for this key chemical intermediate.”
Earlier this year, The Plaza Group signed a $60 million long-term contract which extended the agreement it reached with Texaco in 1994 prior to the formation of Equilon. Headquartered in Houston, Equilon Enterprises LLC is a U.S. joint venture between Texaco and Shell Oil Company. Equilon refines and markets Shell- and Texaco-branded products in 32 western and midwestern states and includes Shell’s and Texaco’s nationwide transportation and lubricants businesses. For more information on Equilon, visit the company’s web site at www.equilon.com.