TPC Group Inc. plans to produce on-purpose isobutylene with the refurbishment and restart of dehydrogenation assets at its Houston operations. The isobutylene feedstock will be used for the company’s performance products and fuels business, including methyl tertiary-butyl ether, polyisobutylene, high-purity isobutylene and diisobutylene. Start-up is planned for the second half of 2014. The facilities will produce up to 650 million pounds per year of isobutylene from isobutane, a natural gas liquids feedstock whose production volumes continue to increase as a result of U.S. shale gas development, TPC said. Total capital expenditure for the project is estimated at $265 million. TPC recently agreed to be taken private by First Reserve Corp. and SK Capital Partners in a cash-and-debt transaction valued at $850 million (see Shale Daily, Aug. 30).