Downstream news roundup: The Americas
Peru
Petroperu is to sign a contract with Tecnicas Reunidas to expand the Talara refinery. The contract will be signed in April and will signify the start of US$ 3.5 billion of upgrade work at the facility. The work will increase the plant’s processing capacity to 96 000 bpd. Work is expected to be complete in 2017.
Trinidad and Tobago
A fire that broke out in the Petrotrin owned Pointe a Pierre refinery has destroyed part of the plant. The fire was confined to an area that contains offices and it has therefore been reported that the fire affected no major installations. The cause of the blaze is yet to be determined and there were no casualties.
USA
Marathon Petroleum received a US$ 175 million tax break from the City of Detroit as the company was looking to expand its plant. However, the company has now come under criticism from the City Council for failing to employ native Detroiters to carry out the work on the plant. Of the 514 employees at the plant only 30 are Detroit residents.
An operational upset was reported at the Martinez refinery, California on Thursday 13th March. The plant is owned by Shell and had already reported the shutdown of a hydrogen unit after a pinhole leak on March 13th.
Edited from various sources by Claira Lloyd.
Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/17032014/downstream_americas_roundup269/
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