Global maintenance and construction update

Brazil

Braskem, Brazil’s biggest polymers company is now executing its promise to invest and expand in to new petrochemicals branches and facilities. The company has purchased Dow’s Chemical PP business and is looking to expand beyond polypropylene with the business. The company is also implementing a cracker at the polyethylene project in Mexico and PP project in Venezuela.

India

6000 labourers in northern India are working around the clock to finish the Cuddalore refinery by the 1^st March 2011 deadline. The facility owners Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Ltd set the time limit. The company wants to begin the crude and vacuum distribution units first.

South Africa

Engen Petroleum has been given a legal notice by government officials stipulating strict time frames for structural work to be carried out at the Durban refinery. The facility has suffered a number of fires, leaks and explosions since 2005, which will require more than just patch up work. The penalty for not meeting the deadlines will be a criminal case against the company and fines.

USA

Advanced Refining Concepts begun construction of phases 3 and 4 of the Peru Heights refinery on 7^th November. The facility, located in Nevada, will have a total capacity of 400 00 gal./d by the middle of 2012. The facility will produce the clean burning GDiesel®.

A crude distillation unit at the Pasadena, Texas refinery is now back online. The unit was shutdown in September due to a fire at the facility on the 30^th of the month. The Pasadena refinery is owned by Pasadena Refining Systems Inc. a subsidiary of Petrobras. 

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/10112011/maintenance_and_construction/