By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 15 -- Chevron USA Inc. has applied for an environmental permit to construct a continuous catalyst regeneration (CCR) unit and several other minor units at its 325,000 b/cd refinery in Pascagoula, Miss.
These projects are to follow the refinery's $150 million fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) project, which remains on track to be completed by yearend and will increase the plant's gasoline production capacity by 10% to 5.5 million gal/day.
The CCR project is expected to further boost gasoline production capacity at the refinery by about 15%, adding 725,000 gal/day. The project will not increase the plant's crude oil capacity.
The CCR unit would replace two process units constructed more than 30 years ago, improving the refinery's ability to provide reliable supplies of gasoline to key markets in the eastern US, said general manager Roland Kell.
Chevron has selected WorleyParsons to complete the engineering for the CCR project, for which construction, if approved by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, would likely begin in first quarter 2008.
Environmental permitting will run concurrently with Chevron's evaluation process.
Kell said Chevron plans to use appropriate air emission controls, installing best available control technology as required by the environmental authorities and is also proposing to voluntarily reduce certain emissions beyond current requirements. Meetings to discuss these plans are being organized with community groups.
Chevron's FCC project, along with another project completed earlier this year at the company's refinery in El Segundo, Calif., will collectively bring online for Chevron about 1 million gal/day of additional gasoline manufacturing capacity—a 7% increase relative to the company's total US refinery gasoline production in 2005.
