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Citgo Petroleum is investing $310 million to upgrade its Lake Charles refinery in Louisiana through a project called the Depentanizer Project, Energy News reports.
The initiative is designed to improve the refinery’s naphtha upgrading capabilities by adding facilities and equipment that can convert lower-value streams into higher-value gasoline blend components.
According to Citgo, the project will increase operational flexibility, improve the refinery’s competitiveness and strengthen its ability to meet U.S. transportation fuel demand. The investment is also expected to provide economic benefits to southwest Louisiana by supporting the refinery’s existing workforce, creating additional contract jobs during construction and generating opportunities for local suppliers and service providers.
Citgo executives emphasize that the project demonstrates the company’s confidence in the refinery’s long-term future and its importance to the regional and national energy markets.
The Lake Charles refinery has operated since 1944, when it was established to help supply aviation fuel during World War II. It has since expanded into Citgo’s largest refinery, producing gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, petrochemicals and other products. Its location along the Calcasieu Ship Channel gives it access to diverse crude supplies and efficient transportation through pipelines and marine routes. The Depentanizer Project will build on these advantages by enhancing the refinery’s ability to process domestic light crude and produce additional gasoline components.
Citgo currently expects the project to be completed and operational in 2029, with engineering, construction and commissioning activities continuing in coordination with employees, contractors and local stakeholders.
