The startup  of  the  methanol  plant  that will rank as the largest in the US when built appears 

likely to come in the fourth quarter of 2017, sources said Friday. 

The  1.75  million  mt/year  Natgasoline  facility in Beaumont, Texas, will likely put pressure on 

prices  when  it  does  start  up, sources   said   on   the  sidelines  of  the  IMPCA  Mississippi 

Conference America in New Orleans. 

A  Q4  startup  seems most likely for the plant, sources said, with one saying it could come as 

late as the first quarter of 2018. 

Owned   jointly  by  OCI  and  G2X  Energy,  the  plant  will  surpass  the  1.3   million  mt/year 

Celanese/Mitsui facility in Clear Lake, Texas, as the largest in the US. 

The  developers  had  previously said the plant would come online in the second half of 2017, 

although  sources  in  December  suggested  July  or  August  as a likely start date. Company 

representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. 

The  addition  of  the  Natgasoline  plant  extends  a  rise  in US production that has started a 

transition from the US being a heavy importer towards it being a net exporter of methanol. 

US methanol production capacity started 2015 at 2.25 million mt/year and rose to 5.75 million 

mt/year  by  the  beginning of 2016. The Natgasoline plant will bring US capacity to 7.5 million 

mt/year. 

The expansion has pushed exports to historic highs while chopping away at imports. The wav

e  of  US  shipments  has begun to compete in export markets with material from Trinidad and 

Tobago and Venezuela, who have also lost market share in the US. 

In spot markets, US methanol was assessed Thursday at 118.25-118.75 cents/gal FOB USG 

for February and March, a 21-month high.