UPGRADE ADDS THREE UNITS AT CORPUS PLANT

Kerr-McGee Refining Corp. is adding three process units at a cost of about $39 million at its Corpus Christi refinery. The units are part of the company's plan to upgrade its refineries while meeting requirements of the 1991 Clean Air Act amendments. A diene saturation unit will go on stream this month to improve the quality of light olefins before they are further refined by alkylation. The 10,000 b/d unit is licensed by Engelhard Corp.

Aug. 12, 1991

Kerr-McGee Refining Corp. is adding three process units at a cost of about $39 million at its Corpus Christi refinery.

The units are part of the company's plan to upgrade its refineries while meeting requirements of the 1991 Clean Air Act amendments.

A diene saturation unit will go on stream this month to improve the quality of light olefins before they are further refined by alkylation. The 10,000 b/d unit is licensed by Engelhard Corp.

Completion of a 7,500 b/d Penex (C5C6 isomerization) unit is scheduled for first quarter 1992. Licensed by UOP, it is designed to increase the value of a byproduct raffinate stream and cut the production cost of gasoline.

The third unit is a methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) plant scheduled for completion in summer 1992.

Also licensed by UOP, it will be able to produce 1,800 b/d of MTBE, a gasoline octane booster, along with a quantity of tertiary amyl methyl ether.