A decision on whether Total will build a second integrated steam cracker at the company’s Port Arthur facility remains in flux while company officials keep an eye on a market that shows early signs of a slight rebound on the heels of a downturn that stalled plans for the $1.5 billion unit.

“This project was not being helped by the market this past year, but (the market) is on the rebound, so we hope to see a decision by the end of the year,” Bryan Canfield, general manager at the Port Arthur Total facility, said Tuesday.

Canfield was guest speaker at the Greater Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce Membership luncheon Tuesday at the Robert E. “Bob” Bowers Civic Center.

The Oklahoma native started his career in Port Arthur with Fina Oil & Chemical as a process engineer and returned to Port Arthur in January 2016 to head the Total facility.

He spent the majority of his career in refining and base chemicals, holding positions in engineering, operations, planning and optimization, marketing and sales, trading and general management, Barbara Phillips, Chamber chairwoman, said while introducing Canfield.

In addition to Port Arthur, Canfield worked at four different locations in Texas, twice in Antwerp, Belgium, a five-year assignment in Qatar and a third assignment in Belgium near Waterloo.

Canfield told the crowd attending Tuesday’s luncheon that he was not only glad to be back in Port Arthur, but glad to be invited to participate in a community event.

“This is one of the things I like about a community, the opportunity to come together,” he said.

Canfield said when he first came back to Port Arthur; he was excited to learn it was the company’s 80^th anniversary in the city.

“My professional career started here, its good to come back home,” Canfield said. “I have embraced Southeast Texas. It is a warm and comfortable feeling for me.”

The Chamber gifted Canfield with a 1964-framed photo of the Fina Refinery.

E-mail: sherry.koonce@panews.com

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