New tower among renovations at Exxon plant

A new, 225-ton tower placed today at the Exxon/Mobil Baton Rouge Chemical Plant is the culmination of an upgrading effort that has been under way for four years. The plant’s Olefins unit is undergoing what is known as a “turnaround,” a large-scale renovation performed in a short amount of time. The unit produces ethylene and propylene, which are used in products such as packaging, diapers and football helmets. Pat Fontenot, operations manager of the Olefins unit, says the turnaround “is on schedule, and it looks good.” Over the past four years, the effort has cost $150 million, and at its peak has employed about 1,600 contract workers with a combined payroll of more than $80 million. Exxon hired eight Louisiana contractors, among them Deep South Crane and Rigging, which supplied the oversized crane used for erecting the tower. The 2,500-ton pedestal crane, one of the world’s largest, required 310 truckloads to transport and took more than a month to construct on-site. It requires 2 million pounds of counterweights to keep stable. Deep South spokeswoman Margaret Landry says the job required its largest crane because the machine could be built within the tightly packed confines of the plant. “It has a small footprint for a tight area, and a far reach,” Landry says. Exxon spokeswoman Lana Venable says she expects the tower to be fully lowered by the end of Wednesday, and the entire turnaround should be finished later this year. To see pictures of the crane being placed at Exxon today, click here. —Ian McGibboney