CEPSA picks UOP for refinery expansion

March 30, 2006
Spanish integrated CEPSA Group (Compañía Española de Petróleos SA) has let a contract to UOP LLC for eight process units for the expansion and upgrade of its 100,000 b/cd La Rábida Refinery in Huelva, Spain.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 30 -- Spanish integrated CEPSA Group (Compañía Española de Petróleos SA) has let a contract to UOP LLC for eight process units for the expansion and upgrade of its 100,000 b/cd La Rábida Refinery in Huelva, Spain.

The project will increase output of middle distillates. CEPSA said capacity utilization at the Huelva refinery is currently about 98%.

UOP will employ proprietary hydrocracking and sulfur removal technologies, including two Merox process units: a Unionfining unit and a Unicracking unit.

The new complex will include a 90,000 b/sd crude distillation unit, a 25,000 b/sd vacuum distillation unit, a 32,000 b/sd gas concentration unit, a 4,200 b/sd LPG Merox unit, a 27,000 b/sd naphtha Merox unit, a 31,500 b/sd distillate Unionfining unit, a 41,200 b/sd atmospheric and vacuum gas oils Unicracking unit, and an amine regeneration and sour water stripper units.