Petroperu awards Talara refinery upgrade to joint venture

Feb. 14, 2002
Peruvian state oil company Petroperu has awarded a $20 million contract for the upgrade of its 62,000 b/d Talara refinery to a consortium of Venezuelan company Otepi Consultores and Peruvian company Cosapi.

By the OGJ Online Staff

HOUSTON, Feb. 14 -- Peruvian state oil company Petroperu has awarded a $20 million contract for the upgrade of its 62,000 b/d Talara refinery to a consortium of Venezuelan company Otepi Consultores and Peruvian company Cosapi.

The work includes an expansion of capacity to 80,000 b/d and installing a desalinating plant for heavy crudes.

The company said the Talara contract is one of three projects Petroperu considers as necessary to improve its operations and work toward the World Bank's 2005 fuel standards for South American countries.

US company Foster Wheeler Ltd. is studying a phase out of lead in fuel. That contract, arranged by the US Trade and Development Agency, should be completed at midyear.

Petroperu also plans a $6 million project to replace subsea pipelines that carry crude from tankers to a shore terminal, and to expand storage.

Also, Alberta Energy Co. Ltd. is studying using 30,000 b/d of idle capacity on the North Peruvian pipeline to transport oil from idle southeastern Ecuadorian fields.