KBR Completes Conversion Project at Valero Refinery

Engineering contractor KBR has announced the completion of a methyl tertiary butyl ether to iso-octene conversion project at petroleum marketer Valero’s Corpus Christi refinery in Texas.

The conversion project is based on the NexOctane process, developed by Neste Oil of Finland and licensed exclusively in the Americas through KBR.

The process selectively converts isobutylene to iso-octene or optionally iso-octane, which are high octane, high quality gasoline blendstocks that are reported to offer benefits in addressing challenges with ethanol blending.

KBR noted that the process is especially attractive for refiners wishing to discontinue methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) production since much of the MTBE unit can be utilized in the conversion to a NexOctane plant.

The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 has eliminated the use of MTBE in gasoline, making the conversion a priority for Valero.