Exxon Mobil Begins Baytown Project Aimed at Boosting Diesel, Lubricant Base Stock Output — OPIS

Exxon Mobil has begun a reconfiguration project at its 588,000 b/d refinery and petrochemical plant in Baytown, Texas, that is designed to increase production of diesel and higher-value base stocks.

The work on the project, which began on Tuesday, will expand the company's product offering in Group III base stocks and help it to meet "North American demand for higher-quality base stock slates," Kelly Davila, a company spokeswoman, said in an email.

Once the project is completed, Exxon Mobil will be the only supplier offering the full range of Group I-V base stocks, Davila said.

Base stocks are building blocks of lubricants and greases, which keep transportation vehicles and heavy-duty equipment moving. They are used in a variety of applications, including as cars, trucks, industrial machinery, wind turbines, ships and planes.

"We also expect the additional diesel production will meet demand from long-haul transportation, including heavy-duty trucks--both domestically and internationally," she said.

The company has said it expects diesel demand to remain strong, as gasoline consumption declines.

The project is expected to begin operations in 2028, Davila said.

ExxonMobil's Baytown complex, which covers 3,400 acres along the Houston Ship Channel, is one of the world's largest refining and petrochemical facilities and includes a plastics plant in nearby Mont Belvieu.

This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

Reporting by Frank Tang, ftang@opisnet.com; Editing by Jeffrey Barber, jbarber@opisnet.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 22, 2026 14:17 ET (19:17 GMT)