By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 19 -- A key part of an upgrade and expansion of Placid Refining Co.'s 55,000-b/d refinery at Port Allen, La., has started up, the contractor reported.
Mustang, a subsidiary of John Wood Group PLC, handled engineering, design, procurement, and construction management for a grassroots, 20,000-b/d FCC gasoline hydrotreater. The $63 million project's construction phase ended last September.
It's part of a $300 million upgrade that will boost the refinery's crude capacity to 80,000 b/d through addition of the hydrotreater and expansion and upgrade of existing processing units.
The project will cut the refinery's total air emissions by half, according to privately held Placid. In late 2007 the company said it expected completion in the first half of next year.
The refinery's output of gasoline will rise to about 1.5 million gpd from 1 million gpd. Diesel output will rise to 1 million gpd from 750,000 gpd.