Chemicals and Distribution
Making modern life possible
Located at our Port Arthur Manufacturing Complex is our chemicals facility, which was acquired in 2019. Operating with our integrated refinery, the chemicals facility converts crude and other feedstocks into polymer-grade propylene, ethylene, cyclohexane, and other derivatives. These chemical building blocks help make modern life possible, going into everything from medical devices and cell phones to automotive parts and clothing.
A $200 million expansion project is currently underway that will deepen the integration between the refinery and chemical plant. Enabling the processing of additional refinery feedstocks, the project is expected to complete by 2026.
Ethylene and Polymer-Grade Propylene
Motiva's flexible feed, 770-kiloton-per-annum (KTA) steam cracker processes ethane, butane, and propane at high temperatures to produce ethylene, propylene, and other derivatives. Ethylene, a building block for polyethylene, can be used to make household items and automotive parts.
Our 225-KTA propylene splitter upgrades refinery-grade propylene, produced during the refining process, to polymer-grade propylene, a co-product of ethylene. Polymer-grade propylene is a chemical building block for medical devices and high-impact plastics.
Cyclohexane
Initially constructed in 1961, our 318-KTA cyclohexane unit uses a proprietary catalyst to process and saturate benzene. As a building block for nylon, cyclohexane is ultimately processed into fibers for applications in carpeting, automotive tire cord, clothing, and other applications.
Building blocks of innovation
Our Chemical Products
Distribution
Motiva’s comprehensive logistics network connects our refinery, chemicals plant, and Port Neches terminal with various supply and distribution points. This network is strengthened through connected logistics and third-party partnerships. Whether moving product by land or sea, we prioritize protecting our people, the environment, and our communities.
1,000
Vessels docked annually
Our crude and clean products terminals in Port Arthur and Port Neches are positioned on the Sabine-Neches Waterway -- the longest federal deep-draft ship channel on the Texas Gulf Coast -- and dock more than 1,000 vessels annually.
400+
Miles of transmission pipelines
We operate more than 400 miles of transmission pipelines connecting our refinery and chemicals plant with various supply and distribution points in Southeast Texas. These buried steel pipelines transport crude oil and petrochemical products.
3 million
Barrels stored
Our underground storage facility in Sour Lake, Texas can store more than 3 million barrels of ethylene and butane. The facility is critical to gasoline blending, in addition to providing flexibility to petrochemical customers.
