ExxonMobil last Monday announced plans to expand Group II and Group II+ EHC™ production capacity at its refinery in Baytown, Texas.

Subject to funding and regulatory approval, construction is scheduled to begin in late 2013, and unit startup is targeted for early 2015. The expansion will significantly increase output of EHC Group II and Group II+ base stocks and will employ ExxonMobil proprietary technologies, including MSDW dewaxing catalyst, for improved low-temperature performance.

ExxonMobil will introduce EHC 65, a new group II base stock designed for blending heavy duty engine oils. Group II+ EHC 45 will have enhanced low temperature properties, enabling finished lubricant blenders to optimize their formulations.

An ExxonMobil spokesperson further clarified the above statement telling OEM/Lube News that the Baytown expansion involves two base stock products: Group II+ EHC 45 and a conventional Group II EHC 65. EHC 45 is an existing product, which will have improved low temperature properties as a result of ExxonMobil’s MSDWTM dewaxing catalyst employed during the expansion and that EHC 65 is a new product that will replace EHC 60. It has been designed with a higher viscosity than EHC 60 to become a more efficient grade to blend heavy duty engine oils and can reduce the need for additional higher viscosity components.

“ExxonMobil is committed to the base stocks business and is investing to meet the technical demands of our customers for premium base stocks now and into the future,” said George W. Arndt, Jr., general manager of global base stock & specialties for ExxonMobil Fuels, Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Company. “By expanding capacity of Group II and Group II+ EHC base stocks at Baytown, ExxonMobil remains one of the industry’s leading global suppliers of high-quality base stocks.”

ExxonMobil has designed the EHC product line to meet the performance requirements of a wide range of engine oil grades and other finished lubricant applications. With the EHC product line, ExxonMobil states its customers can cost-effectively blend a broad range of finished lubricants designed to meet evolving industry requirements.

In addition to the aforementioned EHC 45 and EHC 65, ExxonMobil produces several other viscosity cuts of the EHC base oil at Baytown, namely EHC 20, 30, 50, and 110.