Uchenna Izundu
International Editor
LONDON, Apr. 30 -- Qatar Petroleum has let an engineering contract to Axens to design processing units for a new 250,000 b/d refinery in the Messaieed Industial City in Qatar that is scheduled to start up by first-quarter 2012.
The Al Shaheen refinery will use Axens' process technologies to establish a 51,000 b/d Hyvahl vacuum residue desulfurization unit; a R2R 60,000 b/d residue fluidized catalytic cracker (RFCC); and a 30,000 b/d Prime-G+ RFCC gasoline desulfurization unit.
The refinery units, combined with advanced technologies, will make this "one of the most modern refinery complexes in the world," Axens said.
The Hyvahl unit will improve the feed quality to the R2R unit and will coproduce an upgraded diesel cut, Axens reported. Hyvahl has long cycle lengths on the 11% asphalt containing Al Shaheen VR feed because of the permutable reactor system (PRS) system. The PRS system increases hydroprocessing operations by removing particulate matter and metals in the feed, eliminating pressure drop build-up in the hydroprocessing section, it added.
The R2R RFCC is a "cold-wall construction adapted to maximize gasoline and propylene production," Axens added, and its Prime-G+ FCC naphtha desulfurization technology will enable the production of ultralow-sulfur gasoline, the company said.
Last year, QP let a lump sum front-end engineering design contract to Technip for the facility. An oil pipeline will extend from Al Shaheen oil and gas field 90 km offshore to Messaieed, 110 km onshore, as well as to other import-export facilities (OGJ Online, Aug. 31, 2007).
Contact Uchenna Izundu at [email protected].
