Grace Davison to form joint venture with Chevron Products to offer hydroprocessing catalysts

The Grace Davison business unit of W. R. Grace & Co. (Columbia, MD) announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chevron Products Co. to create Advanced Refining Technologies LLC (ART). The company plans to offer state-of-the-art hydroprocessing catalysts and related services to customers in the petroleum refining industry worldwide.

Hydroprocessing catalysts represent about 45 percent of the $2 billion global refining catalyst market. Because of increasingly stringent environmental regulations governing clean air worldwide, this is one of the fastest growing segments of the catalyst market.

ART intends to offer a comprehensive slate of premium hydrotreating catalysts for fixed-bed, onstream catalyst replacement (OCR) and ebullating bed residuum operations, as well as distillate hydrotreating catalysts for vacuum gas oil, hydrocracking pre-treat and product post-treat applications.

Robert H. Bullard, Davison Chemical's vice president and general manager for hydroprocessing catalysts, will oversee day-to-day activities as the venture's managing director.

"ART is expected to bring to the global refining industry new standards of product innovation and customer service, harnessing the technical expertise of both Chevron and Grace Davison in catalyst development and their broad experience in supporting refiners," said Bullard.

ART is expected to begin operations in the first quarter 2001 pending final negotiations and government regulatory approval.

Edited by David Nakamura
Managing Editor, Hydrocarbon Online
dnakamura@hydrocarbononline.com