01-04-2011

Grace - Chevron joint venture celebrates tenth anniversary

Advanced Refining Technologies LLC (ART), a joint venture between W. R. Grace & Co and Chevron Products Company (Chevron), is celebrating ten years of successful business activity. The venture was created in 2001 to develop, market and sell a comprehensive line of hydroprocessing catalysts that help refiners convert heavy crudes and bitumens into lighter products, and remove sulfur and other contaminants from petroleum to produce more environmentally-friendly transportation fuels.

Today, the organization employs 200+ people around the world and is generating in excess of $300 million in annual revenue.

The relationship between Grace and Chevron dates back to 1965, when Grace began manufacturing hydrocracking catalysts for Chevron-designed units.

"Forming the joint venture was a natural extension of the prior relationship between our two companies," said Scott K. Purnell, General Manager and Managing Director, Advanced Refining Technologies LLC. "Combining Grace's material science, manufacturing, marketing and sales strength with Chevron's extensive experience operating its own refineries and leadership in design and process licensing proved to be a formula for tremendous business success."

Through new product innovation and business development, ART has grown significantly since it began operations on March 1, 2001. In 2002, ART acquired Orient Catalyst Company's hydroprocessing catalyst technologies and the HOP(R) catalyst product line. In 2007, ART obtained an ownership position in Kuwait Catalyst Company, which had been manufacturing HOP(R) resid hydroprocessing catalysts under license since 2001. Over the past decade, ART also acquired and effectively integrated new catalyst technologies from several companies, including Crosfield and Japan Energy.

Between 2006 and 2010, to keep pace with the demand for ART(R) catalysts, driven in part by more stringent clean fuels standards and increased residue processing, ART expanded manufacturing capacity at its North American plants in Chicago, Illinois; Baltimore (Curtis Bay), Maryland and Lake Charles, Louisiana.

"We look to the future with enthusiasm and optimism," said Woody Shiflett, Deputy Managing Director, Advanced Refining Technologies LLC. "Our foundation--a customer commitment to proven industry-leading catalysts and technical service--is backed by the research and development power of both the Chevron and Grace organizations."

Today, ART is a leading global supplier of hydroprocessing catalysts, including fixed-bed, onstream catalyst replacement (OCR) and ebullating bed products, designed for processing resid feedstocks.

ART also offers a full line of distillate catalysts used in processing ultra-low sulfur content gasoline and diesel fuel, including the SmART Catalyst System(R) and ApART(R) catalyst systems, which are customized for individual refiners. Most recently, ART has introduced DX(R) 420 catalyst, a next-generation offering for the production of ultra-low sulfur diesel.

For more information, please visit www.grace.com.