The BASF Total Petrochemicals (BTP) joint venture has revamped its steam cracker in Port Arthur, Texas, so that it can run ethane as a feedstock instead of more expensive naphtha, which is derived from crude oil. The move will allow the joint venture to take advantage of the US shale gas boom, which has led to abundant and cheap supplies of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) such as ethane. Patrick Pouyanne, president of Total Refining and Chemicals, noted that the Port Arthur steam cracker is one of the biggest in the world with a capacity of 1 million tons of ethylene per year. It was commissioned in 2001 to process naphtha.
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机译：巴斯夫道达尔石化公司（BTP）的合资企业已对其德克萨斯州阿瑟港的蒸汽裂解装置进行了改造，以使其能够将乙烷用作原料，而不是使用来自原油的更昂贵的石脑油。此举将使合资企业能够利用美国页岩气的繁荣，从而带动了天然气和乙烷等天然气液体（NGL）的大量廉价供应。 Total Refining and Chemicals公司总裁Patrick Pouyanne指出，亚瑟港蒸汽裂解装置是世界上最大的裂解装置之一，每年的乙烯产能为100万吨。它于2001年委托加工石脑油。
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