TPC gets board approval to proceed with FEED of third polyisobutylene unit

TPC Group announced that its Board of Directors has approved funds for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) to finalize the design and cost estimate to build a third polyisobutylene (PIB) production unit at its Houston, Texas plant.

“The company is increasing PIB capacity, as well as investing in supply chain and logistics infrastructure and isobutylene supply to further strengthen our position as a strong PIB supplier in North America,” said TPC Commercial Senior Vice President Charlie Graham.

TPC is also working to de-bottleneck capacity. Since 2012, it has increased its capacity by more than 20%, and additional de-bottlenecking efforts will continue into 2015.

TPC Group is based in Houston, Texas, and is a supplier of specialised chemical products to major chemical and petroleum companies. It is also the largest North American supplier of PIB, an elastomer used to make detergents and dispersant additives, among many other products.

This project is targeted to satisfy future industry growth, mainly resulting from anticipated changes in fuel and lubricant additive requirements beginning in the second half of 2017. These changes are driving substantial growth in demand for highly reactive PIB, which TPC Group manufactures using its proprietary process. TPC is in discussions with its customers regarding definitive off-take commitments for its third line.

TPC Group first entered the PIB industry in May 2000 with the start-up of its patented process to produce a wide range of PIB products. Since that time, the business has grown significantly through multiple expansions to become the largest producer in North America. TPC supplies PIB from its Houston production facility as well as product terminals in Houston and near Chicago, Ill., U.S.A.