Mexichem's ethane steam cracker JV in Texas on target for start up in Q1 2017

Mexico's Mexichem expects its planned joint-venture ethane steam cracker in Ingleside, Texas, to come online as scheduled in the first quarter of 2017, as per Platts. "Our ethylene cracker joint venture with OxyChem should be operational on schedule and fully ramped" up in Q1 2017, the company said. Construction and operation of the cracker will be handled by OxyChem, which formed a 50:50 joint venture with Mexichem to build the ethane-fed steam cracker in Texas. The JV, Ingleside Ethylene, is building the steam cracker adjacent to OxyChem's complex in Ingleside, along with pipeline and storage facilities in Markham. The steam cracker will have five ethane cracking furnaces capable of producing 544,000 tpa of ethylene, according to regulatory filings.