In June 2025, Ergon Refining Inc. (ERI) celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Pilot Plant — a research facility in Vicksburg, Mississippi, designed to support both ERI and our Ergon – West Virginia Inc. (EWV) refineries.
The Pilot Plant plays a crucial role in Ergon’s research and development process, providing insights that lead to the implementation of new crudes, feedstocks, catalyst selections and more. Different types of oil discovery are constantly being brought to Ergon’s attention. The Marketing Team, Ergon Oil Purchasing Inc. and the Process Technology Group are responsible for identifying opportunities such as new crude wells or new catalysts that have entered the market, which are then tested through the Pilot Plant to determine viability.
The Pilot Plant operates 24 hours a day, five days a week with three sections incorporated into its layout. The first section is a Pilot Development Unit (PDU) which is used to test new catalysts and technologies. The second section is designated for crude assays, which involve testing the quality of new oils from all over the world. A five-gallon sample of oil is shipped to Vicksburg for the Pilot Plant Operations Group to start the crude distillation process, which fractionates the oil into all the different products that Ergon sells. From there, they can run the products through the laboratory to identify the quality of that oil and determine if we should purchase it. Last is a solvent extraction unit that processes flux and vacuum tower bottoms to identify strategic purchases that benefit ERI and Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc. These efforts not only progress ERI, but the Pilot Plant also supports EWV and any other needs for Ergon companies. “Ergon has consistently been dedicated to being the world leader in our niche markets. This business model is what makes us successful year after year,” says Dylan DeRosia, Process Technical Services Manager.
The experiments conducted by skilled operators at ERI keep Ergon on the leading edge as new technologies are tested and proven. There are three operators that run the Pilot Plant and two lab analysts that help analyze all the oils that come off. Additionally, Carter Osborne is the Process Technologist who creates the work schedule and sets priorities on projects and other tasks behind the scenes.
The Pilot Plant has been such a vital part of Ergon’s success, even as technology advances. Equipment is constantly being updated as the capability of this technology develops. Updates include new micro reactor system equipment and building renovations. Something to look forward to is Ergon’s effort to increase specialty oil production by 2032, and a lot of this will be concentrated through pilot testing. DeRosia reassures us that the Pilot Plant will continue to be a big part of everything Ergon does for the next several years.
