Chevron Oronite announced yesterday that it will install carboxylate capacity at its lubricant additive plant in Singapore.
Officials did not reveal the size of the facility but said it will roughly equal a recently expanded carboxylate plant in Gonfreville, France. The cost of the project was not disclosed.
Oronite uses carboxylates as sulfur-free detergents in high-performance additive packages. The Singapore capacity will be completed by 2017, the company said in a news release, and will supplement the Gonfreville plant to form a global supply network.
Oronite Vice president for Sales and Marketing Jirong Xiao described the carboxylate project as part of an ongoing series of investments at all three of the companys main factories. (In addition to Singapore and Gonfreville, Oronite has a major additive plant in Belle Chase, Louisiana, United States.) In July the Singapore plant completed a large expansion focused on lubricant dispersants. At that time officials indicated that a detergent project was being considered.
Oronite is an indirect subsidiary of U.S. energy company Chevron. Oronite is one of the lubricant industrys four biggest additive suppliers, along with Lubrizol Corp., Infineum and Afton Corp.