ExxonMobil Shuts Down Facility!

On May 22, foreign media reported that ExxonMobil has closed one of its chemical manufacturing plants in Singapore, citing unfavorable current market conditions and a temporary suspension of operations.

A company spokesperson said on May 21: "We have idled a chemical manufacturing unit... I cannot confirm the specific unit," adding that the facility began operations in 2002. "We will continue working with customers to meet their needs, leveraging our global asset base and product inventory. If market conditions improve, we have the capability to restart the unit."

ExxonMobil operates two steam crackers in Singapore with a total ethylene capacity of 1.9 million tons per year: Crackers 1 and 2 have capacities of 900,000 tons/year and 1 million tons/year, respectively.

It is noted that in December 2025, reports indicated ExxonMobil planned to gradually cease operations of the older of its two steam crackers on Jurong Island, Singapore, starting in March 2026, with a full shutdown expected in June 2026, as part of a global trend of petrochemical capacity reduction amid losses.

Notably, on February 2, 2026, ExxonMobil announced it had shut down its Fife ethylene plant in Mossmorran, Scotland, ahead of schedule. The company had announced in November 2025 that it would permanently cease operations at the site in the third quarter of 2026, but the actual shutdown came about a quarter earlier. The cracker has an ethylene capacity of approximately 830,000 tons/year and is one of the UK's key chemical infrastructure assets.

ExxonMobil stated that this move is part of its global asset optimization strategy. In recent years, the company has been continuously optimizing its chemical business portfolio, focusing on core assets with stronger competitive advantages.