Celanese on Monday announced it would explore plans to build a 1.3-million-tons-per-year methanol production unit at its facility in Bishop, Texas. Celanese is preparing to apply for the necessary environmental permits and will move forward with construction pending government incentives. The company said the proposed unit would be similar in scope and scale to a methanol unit being constructed at its Clear Lake, Texas, plant. Celanese is considering a joint venture structure for the unit similar to the arrangement it has with Mitsui & Co. for the Clear Lake unit.