BP to invest $3 billion in Whiting refinery upgrade

Sept. 20, 2006
BP PLC is in the final planning stage of a $3 billion investment to increase capacity to process Canadian heavy crude oil at its 399,000 b/cd Whiting refinery in northwest Indiana.

By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Sept. 20 -- BP PLC is in the final planning stage of a $3 billion investment to increase capacity to process Canadian heavy crude oil at its 399,000 b/cd Whiting refinery in northwest Indiana.

The company said reconfiguring the refinery has the potential to increase production of motor fuels by about 15% from its current capacity of 4.5 billion gal/year. The refinery now will have the potential to supply motor fuels to about 6 million automobiles, BP America Chairman and Pres. Bob Malone said.

The project will increase capacity for coking, hydrogen production, hydrotreating, and sulfur recovery. BP said the replacement processing units and enhancements to existing refinery units will increase Canadian heavy crude oil processing capability by about 260,000 b/d.

Project construction is slated to begin in 2007 and be completed by 2011, pending regulatory approvals.

BP has been under fire for problems with several of its North American operations, including the partial shutdown of Prudhoe Bay oil field in Alaska this year and a fatal fire at its 446,400 b/cd refinery in Texas City, Tex., last year.