Air Products (NYSE: APD), the leading global hydrogen provider, today announced the signing of an agreement to construct a hydrogen production facility in Detroit, Mich., for Marathon Petroleum Company LLC, a subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO). The steam methane reformer will have a hydrogen production capacity of more than 50 million standard cubic feet per day and is projected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012. The facility will provide hydrogen and steam for Marathon's heavy oil upgrade project at its Detroit refinery.
"Increased and reliable hydrogen supply will be important to Marathon's heavy oil upgrade project. As more sour crude oil is brought in from sources around the world, the requirements for additional hydrogen to make cleaner burning fuels also grows. Air Products has been working with Marathon to produce cleaner burning fuels for more than a decade and we are pleased to expand our relationship with this new project in Michigan," said Alex Masetti, vice president - North America Tonnage Gases at Air Products.
Marathon's Detroit hydrogen facility is the 31st plant to be built through the global alliance between Air Products and Technip. This alliance continues to provide the worldwide refining industry with competitive technology and world-class safety. Technip provides the design and construction expertise for steam reformers while Air Products provides the gas separation technology. Air Products, through its extensive operating network, and Technip, from its large reference base, also bring effective operational and engineering knowledge to "design-in" high reliability and efficiency. The plants are operated and maintained by Air Products under long-term agreements with customers.