Refinery maintenance, project scale backs and cancellations

Planned maintenance
The Caltex Australia Ltd. owned Lytton refinery has been closed for planned maintenance. It is expected that the facility will reopen towards the end of May.

The continuous catalytic reformer at Valero Energy Corp’s Paulsboro, New Jersey refinery will be closed for a planned major turnaround. The unit processes 32 000 bpd. The unit has only been subject to minor routine maintenance in the past and this will be its first turnaround.

Unexpected shutdown
Sunoco Inc. has been forced to unexpectedly shutdown part of its Philadelphia refinery. The gasoline making fluid catalytic cracker unit was shutdown on 27^th April after an unexpected malfunction and was restarted early the following morning.

Project cancellation
Honam Petrochemical has cancelled plans to construct a petrochemicals complex with Qatar Petroleum. The company has stated that it would prefer to make investments in the domestic South Korean market. The petrochemical facility would have been constructed in Qatar at a cost of US$ 2.6 billion.

Scaling back
Braskem, Brazil and PDVSA, Venezuela have decided to cut investments at the joint venture Propilsur polypropylene plant. The 450 million tpy facility will now benefit from a US$ 500 million investment rather than a US$ 1 billion investment. The two companies have also decided to delay plants to construct a second similar plant.

Idemitsu Kosan Co has announced plans to cut back its oil refining capacity by 100 00 bpd. The company is also planning on downsizing its workforce as it strives to achieve higher levels of profitability.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/04052010/refinery_maintenance_project_scale_backs_and_cancellations/