By the OGJ Online Staff
HOUSTON, Jan. 14 -- Flint Hills Resources LP, Wichita, Kan., will invest $145 million in upgrades to its 300,000 b/d Corpus Christi, Tex., refining complex.
Flint Hills will begin engineering and construction of a sulfur-processing unit within the next 6 months; the expected completion date is mid-2003.
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Houston will manage the project.
Flint Hills said the upgrades will allow it to produce fuels with 80% lower sulfur levels.
Dave Robertson, president and CEO of Flint Hills Resources, formerly known as Koch Petroleum Group, said, "This second phase of facility improvements will enable us to further reduce the sulfur levels in the fuels we produce and meet 2005 federal clean fuels standards."
The 2005 standard is an average 30 ppm.
Joe Coco, vice-president of refining and manufacturing manager, said the capital investment is one of the company's largest ever and underscores its commitment to the Corpus Christi area.