Few branches of industry are as strongly integrated as the oil industry.

After the "upstream" exploration for and extraction of crude oil, production moves "downstream". The petroleum is transported through pipelines and tankers to the refineries. This starting material is then refined into numerous oil products - including fuels and special products such as lubricants and semi-finished products - and marketed through a fine distribution network in which the ExxonMobil depots play a key role.

The refinery is central to this integrated approach as this is where the crude oil enters as a raw material and where the first processed products are produced.

ExxonMobil has two refineries in the Benelux, one in Antwerp and another in the Botlek area of Rotterdam.

The factory complex in Antwerp came into operation in 1953. The sister refinery in Rotterdam followed in 1960. Both have since been fundamentally modernized.

The refinery in Antwerp is specialized in the production of bitumen (asphalt) and, on behalf of ExxonMobil Chemical, chemical fluids. Thanks to the presence of a Catalytic Cracker, the conversion coefficient is high. This means that a relatively high amount of light oil products are produced such as diesel and petrol. These have a higher added value than heavy products such as fuel oil for the shipping industry.

Since undergoing a major modernization in the eighties and further capital expenditure in the nineties, the Rotterdam refinery has been one of the most modern and environmentally friendly plants of its type. The FLEXICOKER, a thermal conversion unit, enables the refinery to produce pure, light products.

One of the qualities of the ExxonMobil refineries in the Benelux is that they are extremely economical with energy and therefore have significantly reduced emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Both refineries have a combined heat and power plant that generally supplies all their own power requirements. The combination of generating power and steam gives these plants a considerably higher yield than is possible using conventional power generation systems. In addition, heat loss at every stage of the production process is minimized.

If you wish to find out more about the refineries and other major ExxonMobil locations in the Benelux, click here.