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November 30, 2010

Motiva expansion gearing up for busy 2011

Sherry Koonce The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR — As 2010 draws to a close, Motiva Enterprises is gearing up for a busy 2011  — the busiest time yet for the company’s expansion project.

“I got involved with the project a little over five years ago and now we have a little over one year to two years to go. There is light at the end of the tunnel and everybody is getting excited about start-up,” Forest Lauher, Motiva general manager, said Tuesday.

Motiva representatives provided an update on the company’s epic expansion during the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce’s Membership Luncheon Tuesday.

Once completed, the expansion will make the Port Arthur refinery the largest in the U.S. and among the top 10 largest in the world. A refinery like Motiva’s — built within an existing facility — has not been constructed in the U.S. in the last 30 years.

The new crude refinery will be capable of processing 600,000 barrels of oil per day, more than double the previous amount.

Since the project was approved for construction in 2007 the community has been impacted.

Along Houston Avenue pre-built modules traveled the streets daily for the good part of 12 months.

The Port Arthur area will realize an estimated $17 billion in economic benefits over the course of the project, and 30,000 people will have been employed in some way, shape or form.

As example, Motiva has spent more than $1 million with local car dealerships and done business with more than 300 companies since the expansion began.

The company has spent just over $2 billion with the local community.

To date, 36 operators have been hired and the company expects to hire more. Of those, 16.4 percent are from Port Arthur area. Fifty-three people have been employed by Motiva — 30.19 percent from the Port Arthur area.

Currently, there 7,500 people on site. Of those, 3,500 are from the surrounding nine-county area, Joe Thompson, Bechtel Jacobs Program manager, said.

When the project hits its peak in April another 1,800 people are expected to be employed largely in electrical and insulation jobs.

To date, 100 percent of the 320 modules have been delivered. Only eight of those are left to be set in place.

Also left to do is the tie in with the existing facility.

“We are going to see a lot of activity in 2011. We are right on track, but have a lot to do,” , Nick Smallwood, Motiva CEP Project director, said. “We’ve still got cable to pull — so much that it will stretch from here to just about Chicago.”

skoonce@panews.com













 

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