[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 41 (Thursday, March 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10641-10642]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2984]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Foreign-Trade Zones Board

[Docket 7-2006]


Foreign-Trade Zone 116--Port Arthur, Texas, Expansion of 
Manufacturing Authority-Subzone 116C, The Premcor Refining Group Inc., 
Port Arthur, TX

    An application has been submitted to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board 
(the Board) by the Foreign-Trade Zone of Southeast Texas, Inc., grantee 
of FTZ 116, requesting authority on behalf of The Premcor Refining 
Group Inc. (Premcor), to expand the scope of manufacturing activity 
conducted under zone procedures within Subzone 116C at the Premcor oil 
refinery complex in Port Arthur, Texas. The application was submitted 
pursuant to the provisions of the Foreign-Trade Zones Act, as amended 
(19 U.S.C. 81a-81u), and the regulations of the Board (15 CFR part 
400). It was formally filed on February 21, 2006.
    Subzone 116C (250,000 BPD capacity 800 employees) was approved by 
the Board in 1996 for the manufacture of fuel products and certain 
petrochemical feedstocks and refinery by-products (Board Order 848, 61 
FR 54153-54154, 10/17/96, as amended by Board Order 1116, 65 FR 52696, 
8/30/00).
    The subzone consists of four sites (4,685 acres) in Port Arthur: 
Site 1--(3,581 acres) the main refinery complex is located at 1801 S. 
Gulfway Drive, 3 miles southwest of Port Arthur; Site 2--(775 acres) 
Lucas/Beaumont Terminal storage facility (1.7 mil. Barrels) located at 
9405 West Port Arthur Road, 15 miles northwest of the refinery; Site 
3--(243 acres) Fannet LPG storage terminal (3mil. Barrels) located at 
16151 Craigen, near Fannett, some 25 miles west of the refinery; and 
Site 4: (86 acres) Port Arthur Products storage facility (1.8 mil 
barrels) located at 1825 H.O. Mills Road, 4 miles northwest of the 
refinery. The expansion request involves the addition of a crude unit 
and modifications and upgrades to other units within the refinery to 
increase the overall crude

[[Page 10642]]

distillation capacity of the refinery to 450,000 BPD and allow for the 
processing of a greater variety of crudes. No additional feedstocks or 
products have been requested.
    Zone procedures would exempt the increased production from customs 
duty payments on the foreign products used in its exports. On domestic 
sales, the company would be able to choose the customs duty rates for 
certain petrochemical feedstocks (duty-free) by admitting foreign crude 
oil in non-privileged foreign status. The application indicates that 
the savings from zone procedures help improve the refinery's 
international competitiveness.
    In accordance with the Board's regulations, a member of the FTZ 
staff has been appointed examiner to investigate the application and 
report to the Board.
    Public comment is invited from interested parties. Submissions 
(original and 3 copies) shall be addressed to the Board's Executive 
Secretary at one of the following addresses:
1. Submissions Via Express/Package Delivery Services: Foreign-Trade-
Zones Board, U.S. Department of Commerce, Franklin Court Building--
Suite 4100W, 1099 14th St. NW., Washington, DC 20005; or
2. Submissions Via the U.S. Postal Service: Foreign-Trade-Zones Board, 
U.S. Department of Commerce, FCB--Suite 4100W, 1401 Constitution Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    The closing period for their receipt is May 1, 2006. Rebuttal 
comments in response to material submitted during the foregoing period 
may be submitted during the subsequent 15-day period (to May 16, 2006).
    A copy of the application and accompanying exhibits will be 
available for public inspection at the Office of the Foreign-Trade 
Zones Board's Executive Secretary at the first address listed above, 
and at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Export Assistance Center, 15600 
John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 530, Houston, TX 77032.

    Dated: February 21, 2006.
Dennis Puccinelli,
Executive Secretary.
[FR Doc. E6-2984 Filed 3-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DS-S