Outsourcing can lower the cost of hydrogen, carbon monoxide or syngas ("HyCO") to the refining or petrochemical industries. It is a core product to an industrial gas company strategically focused on HyCO. Air Products' skills and expertise are geared towards producing HyCO products in the most cost effective and reliable manner. We own and operate 35 steam reformers and partial oxidation units around the world, located in areas of high refinery and petrochemical activity such as: Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Texas and Louisiana, US Gulf coast; Los Angeles Basin, California; and Mab Tha Phut, Thailand.

Utilizing this continuous operating experience, the industrial gas supplier brings advantages in HyCO supply not normally available to the typical refiner or chemicals producer. Feedback and bench-marking from its own HyCO plants allows continuous improvements to be made both in initial design and in on-going optimisation, offering significant cost savings. Further cost reductions are possible by linking HyCO consumers together through a pipeline supply network with multiple plant capability.
With large capital investment expected to be required - especially in refining in the near to mid-term and with refining margins not expected to be supportive of such investment - out-sourced HyCO supply offers an effective way to minimise costs. Perhaps more significantly in today's climate, it releases capital for other investment opportunities aimed at improving the refinery margin.