Mile 125.5 - LBD - Shell, Motiva, Valero, Union Carbide, and Rain CII
125.5 LBD - Shell, Motiva, Valero, Union Carbide, and Rain CII
In 1916 the New Orleans Refining Company purchased 366 acres of rice, indigo, and sugar cane fields from the Good Hope Plantation and began operating it as an oil terminal later that year. In 1919, the company provided its employees with on-site living quarters, schools, and recreational facilities. As the town grew around the facility, it adopted the name Norco, which was the acronym for New Orleans Refining Company. In 1929 the facility was purchased by Shell.
The Shell Norco Chemical Plant East Site is situated on the upriver side of the Norco industrial complex. The East and West plants together process gas feeds and liquid feeds to produce nearly 3 billion pounds of ethylene and 1.4 billion pounds of propylene per year. In addition, the Chemical plant produces approximately 350 million pounds of butadiene per year as well as secondary butyl alcohol and olefin cracker feedstocks.
The Motiva Norco Refinery is a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Saudi Refining. The refineries major refining units include Distilling, Catalytic Cracking, Catalytic Reformer, Alkylation, Hydrocracking, Hydrotreating, and Coking. Products processed or produced daily in the refinery include gasoline, jet-A aviation fuel, low sulfur diesel and anode grade coke. The refinery’s crude capacity is 235,000 barrels per day.
The Valero St. Charles Refinery, with initial construction beginning in the 1980’s, is one of the newest in the United States. It is situated on approximately 1,000 acres on the downriver side of the Norco industrial complex. The refinery processes approximately 300,000 barrels of oil per day producing gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, No. 2 and No. 6 fuel oils, heating oil, liquefied petroleum gases (LPGs) and petroleum coke.
Rain CII Carbon has a petroleum coke calcining plant adjacent to the Motiva Norco Refinery. The calciner was commissioned in 1965 by Kaiser Aluminum and produces calcined coke intended for aluminum smelter anode production. The facility has one rotary kiln with 230,000 ton/yr capacity. The green coke is supplied directly by Motiva Norco Refinery.
Praxair St Charles produces 135,000,000 cubic feet of hydrogen per day for use by Valero Refining St. Charles in their 60,000 barrel per day hydrocracker which produces low sulfur fuels.
Toxic Releases (TRI) for 2013 in pounds: Valero Refining St. Charles: Air: 958,827 Water: 31,878; Shell Norco Chemical Plant East Site: Air: 703,495; Motiva Norco Refinery: Air: 406,892; Water: 4,922; Rain CII Carbon: Air: 21,370; Praxair St Charles: Air: 11,554.