Sasol Ethane Cracker and Derivatives Project

As part of Sasol's plans to strengthen its position in a growing global chemicals market, the company is developing a world-scale ethane cracker and derivatives complex that will roughly triple its chemical production capacity in the United States.

The new complex, located adjacent to Sasol's existing facility in Southwest Louisiana, encompasses a 1.5 million tons-per-year ethane cracker; and six downstream derivatives units; and associated utilities, offsites, and infrastructure work.

Sasol has been one of Fluor's strategic Clients in South Africa since 1960 and turned to Fluor to support these growth plans in the United States. Currently serving as the primary engineering, procurement, and construction management contractor for the project in a joint venture with Technip, Fluor was also the front-end engineering and design contractor. The Sasol Ethane Cracker and Derivatives Project was named Top Petrochemical Project of 2015 by Hydrocarbon Processing magazine.

Sasol Ethane Cracker and Derivatives Project - Fluor

Client's Challenge

The U.S. Gulf Coast region is experiencing substantial growth, and this project is one of the largest announced investments. To support this mega project, which will require more than 5,000 craft workers at peak, Fluor is drawing on our extensive U.S. Gulf Coast and petrochemical project experience.

Fluor has developed a modular execution approach to support the schedule and appropriately maintain craft densities onsite.

Sasol - Fluor Technip Integrated (FTI) and Sasol team discuss unloading at the Port of Lake Charles.

Fluor's Solution

Leveraging our supply chain expertise, Fluor is focusing on the use of Louisiana vendors and suppliers to support local investment and job creation. Construction activities are underway and expected to be complete in 2018.

In January 2016, the team commenced heavy haul transports, transporting a 930-ton boiler approximately 2.5 miles from the project's construction dock to the project site and placing it on its permanent foundation.

Since then, the project has completed more than 270 heavy haul transports from the construction dock to the project site, with nearly 500 total expected throughout the life of the project.

Mega lifts began in August 2016, as the team lifted a 595-ton polymerization reactor into place. 36 mega lifts are planned. The first 78 modules for the ethane cracker were delivered to site in December 2016.

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Conclusion

In 2017, mechanical, instrumentation and electrical work will ramp up as site civil work nears completion. As of January 2017, the project has worked 15 million hours without a lost-time incident.