Badger Licensing LLC congratulates Calumet Specialty Products Partners L.P. on the successful completion and start-up of the world's first BenzOUT™ process unit for gasoline benzene reduction at Calumet's refinery in Superior, WI. The unit converts benzene contained in the refinery's gasoline blend-stock into high octane alkyl-aromatics by reacting benzene with refinery grade propylene.

The BenzOUT process, developed by ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company and licensed through Badger, avoids the octane loss and hydrogen consumption associated with other benzene reduction strategies such as benzene saturation and removal of benzene precursors from reformer feed. The BenzOUT process license was executed in July 2010, and the project was completed by Calumet in December 2011.

This innovative technology helps Calumet to meet EPA-mandated Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSAT2) benzene regulations while generating a positive octane gain in the gasoline pool. Calumet's BenzOUT process unit can process 5,500 barrels per day of feedstock and is designed to help achieve 0.62 volume % of benzene in the gasoline pool, meeting the most stringent requirement under the MSAT2 regulation.

Badger Licensing LLC, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is a venture of affiliates of The Shaw Group (NYSE: SHAW) and ExxonMobil Chemical Company. Badger is principally engaged in marketing, licensing, and developing technologies for ethylbenzene, styrene monomer, cumene, and bisphenol A. The venture also supplies basic engineering packages for the licensed processes through Shaw. Catalyst for the BenzOUT process is supplied to Badger's licensees by ExxonMobil Catalyst Technologies LLC.

Editor's Notes:

1. Badger Licensing LLC is a joint venture between Badger Technology Holdings LLC (affiliate of The Shaw Group Inc.) and Alkylation Licensing LLC (affiliate of ExxonMobil Chemical Company).

Badger Licensing LLC
Mary Kelleher, 1.617.494.7217
mary.kelleher@badgerlicensing.com