ExxonMobil restarts Singapore bitumen plant

ExxonMobil has restarted bitumen production in Singapore after having idled its unit for almost a year.

Bitumen production has been restarted "in response to market conditions", ExxonMobil said today.

The company's Singapore unit can produce about 100,000-120,000 t/month of bitumen. Singapore is a key supplier of the product and exported about 2.5mn t in 2020.

Bitumen production at ExxonMobil's Singapore-based refinery was cut "on or about May" 2020 because of shutdowns at some units in the complex, the company told Argus in October 2020.

The restart of production at ExxonMobil's unit is expected to raise supply from Singapore, with other local refiners also operating plants smoothly or at high rates.

By Mahua Chakravarty