TransAmerican Refining Corp. (TRC), Norco, La., by yearend intends to begin restarting its 300,000 b/sd refinery more than a decade after halting operations for scheduled catalytic cracker maintenance.
TransAmerican expects to reactivate parts of the plant within a few months and to have the entire refinery operating by early 1995.
Once acclaimed as one of the largest, most modern independent U.S. refineries, TransAmerican's Norco plant since shutdown in January 1983 has been the subject of a comprehensive maintenance and improvement program. TransAmerican reportedly has spent more than $90 million to preserve and upgrade process equipment.
Construction is about 40% complete on a $250 million program that will add a 75,000 b/d coker, 60,000 b/d of desulfurization equipment, and a 13,000 b/d methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) unit, plus expand existing process units and improve terminal and storage facilities.
TransAmerican estimates the coker can be installed and MTBE production under way by summer 1994.
Configured to refine 300,000 b/sd of heavy, sour crude oil, the refinery is in compliance with all local and regional environmental rules, and all environmental permits are current.
TRC is a subsidiary of TransAmerican Natural Gas Corp., Houston.
Copyright 1993 Oil & Gas Journal. All Rights Reserved.
