TPC Group Positioned to Meet Crude C4 Processing Needs for Olefin Industry

TPC Group today announced that it has successfully demonstrated expanded capability and flexibility within its C4 processing units at its manufacturing facilities. These expanded capabilities will allow TPC to better manage the increased delivery rates of crude C4’s anticipated as a result of new ethylene crackers that are expected to begin coming online in 2017 and beyond, as well as the changing compositions of crude C4’s in United States that have resulted from the varying NGL components used as ethylene cracker feedstock.

The Company has simultaneously operated two butadiene (BD) extraction trains at its Port Neches, Texas facility for extended periods to meet market demand. Additionally, a formerly idled extraction train at its Houston facility has successfully been placed back into service with the flexibility to operate in both its traditional BD extraction mode as well as in a new normal butane extraction mode. The ability to remove normal butane allows TPC to better manage the shifting crude C4 qualities from suppliers resulting from any increase in normal butane as a cracker feedstock. The additional extraction train in Houston, currently online, is making pipeline specification normal butane sales and is also improving the Company’s C4 raffinate quality for refinery alkylation units. The Company has qualified these additional capabilities with minimum headcount and fixed cost additions.

“TPC Group’s rigorous five-year long-range plan is focused on getting the most out of our current assets and strengthening our capabilities to address what is happening in the markets, which includes growth in C4 feedstock supply from both new and expanded crackers as well as crude C4 suppliers cracking higher levels of butane and propane,” said Ed Dineen, TPC Group Chairman, President and CEO. “As the major independent C4 processing company in North America, it’s important that we are a reliable outlet for our suppliers and provide the olefins industry with the capability to take advantage of the lowest cost feedstocks available. With these new capabilities, TPC is prepared to meet both the growing C4 processing needs of our suppliers and the butadiene and butylene needs of our current and new customers.”

TPC Group Inc. is a leading producer of value-added products derived from niche petrochemical raw materials, such as C4 hydrocarbons, and provider of critical infrastructure and logistics services along the Gulf Coast. TPC Group sells its products into a wide range of performance, specialty and intermediate segments, including synthetic rubber, fuels, lubricant additives, plastics and surfactants. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with an operating history of more than 70 years, TPC Group has manufacturing facilities in the industrial corridor adjacent to the Houston Ship Channel and Port Neches, Texas, and operates a product terminal in Lake Charles, Louisiana.