MEGlobal "BookraMEG" Oyster Creek Project named Best Project Winner - Texas and Louisiana - by Engineering News-Record

OYSTER CREEK, Texas, July 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The EQUATE Group is proud to announce that the MEGlobal BookraMEG Oyster Creek Project has been named the 2020 Best Project in the Industrial/Energy category by ENR Texas & Louisiana. The project - nicknamed "BookraMEG" (meaning "future MEG") - is a world-scale 750,000 metric-ton-per-annum monoethylene (MEG) glycol and di-ethylene glycol facility (DEG) built in Oyster Creek, TX as part of EQUATE's subsidiary, MEGlobal. In addition to being completed ahead of schedule, below budget and with an excellent safety record, it was the first time the EQUATE Group constructed a new EG facility in the United States.

"During a period when there was an extraordinary number of construction projects in the US Gulf Coast, MEGlobal was able to capitalize on the expertise of its shareholders and the collaboration of its contract partners," said Dr. Ramesh Ramachandran, CEO of EQUATE. "Dow's world class engineering and procurement support coupled with the active participation of the global engineering work force of EQUATE enabled us to select the best work practices across the world. We will forever be grateful to this project team that delivered a world scale plant safely and ahead of schedule." 

The project was co-submitted for award by MEGlobal, Worley (general contractor) and Fluor (construction contractor) and was one of 18 selected from more than 130 submissions.

"This was an outstanding project in every sense and we are incredibly proud to be recognized for the teamwork, safety commitment and operational excellence demonstrated by the entire organization," said Clarence Stadlwieser, MEGlobal Project Director.

The project was judged on its safety, international teamwork, ability to overcome challenges, innovation, complexity, contribution to the industry/community, construction quality and craftsmanship, and functionality of design and aesthetic quality.

Jason Kraynek, Fluor's Senior Vice President – Energy & Chemicals, said safety was the first priority of the project.

"MEGlobal, Worley, and Fluor were fully aligned that safety was the overriding project objective and nothing would compromise this attitude. As other project contractors were brought on board, they were aligned with this objective and a key part of contractor selection was the contractor's past safety record. The entire project senior management team continuously emphasized focus on safety, both in design and execution of construction," he said. As a result, the Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) was TRIR of 0.054.

Stephen Hillier, Worley's President added, "It was no small feat, but working together, we were able to complete this world-scale facility eight months faster than the industry average. The success of the project is testament to the rigor and dedication of the team – always collaborating towards a common goal. Over the course of the project, we achieved continuous safe work, minimized rework and met project requirements. I'm grateful to MEGlobal for the trust they had in Worley and Fluor to partner with them and accelerate construction in a safe manner."

The winners of ENR's National Best Project Awards will be celebrated at a ceremony in Houston on Oct. 23, 2020.

About EQUATE Group:

The EQUATE Group is a global producer of petrochemicals and the world's second-largest producer of ethylene glycol (EG). The Group owns and operates industrial complexes in Kuwait, North America and Europe that annually produce over 6 million tons of ethylene, ethylene glycol (EG), polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), styrene monomer (SM), paraxylene (PX), heavy aromatics (HA) and benzene (BZ). The EQUATE Group includes EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), The Kuwait Olefins Company (TKOC), as well as a number of subsidiaries such as MEGlobal and Equipolymers. Their products are marketed throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The EQUATE Group's shareholders are Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC), The Dow Chemical Company (Dow), Boubyan Petrochemical Company (BPC) and Qurain Petrochemical Industries Company (QPIC). Employing more than 1,500 people worldwide, the EQUATE Group is a leading enterprise that pursues sustainability wherever it operates through partnerships in fields that include the environment, economy and society.

About MEGlobal
MEGlobal is a global leader in the manufacture and marketing of ethylene glycol (EG). With a worldwide network, MEGlobal markets its products throughout Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. MEGlobal embraces the principles of Responsible Care®, focusing on the safety of employees, neighbors, communities and the environment in every aspect of its operations. As a subsidiary of EQUATE Petrochemical Company (EQUATE), MEGlobal is part of the EQUATE Group which is the world's second largest producer of EG. Visit www.meglobal.biz for more information.

SOURCE EQUATE Group