China�s Zhenhai Refining expands tankage

China�s Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co. Ltd. has begun building a tank farm to accommodate more crude imports. The facilities consist of three crude tanks with a holding capacity of 100,000 cu m each. They are scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2001.

Jan. 9, 2001

BEIJING�China�s Zhenhai Refining & Chemical Co. Ltd. has begun building a tank farm to accommodate more crude imports at its Zhenhai refinery.

The facilities consist of three 100,000 cu m tanks. They are scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2001.

The company plans to add a 1.5 million tonne/year hydrotreater and a 1 million tonne/year delayed coking unit before 2005 to treat crude imports from the Middle East (OGJ Online, Dec. 26, 2000).

The expansion follows the completion of a 3 million tonne/year catalytic unit in July 1999.

Zhenhai is a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec). It has a refining capacity of 12 million tonnes/year. Zhenhai's refinery throughput exceeded 10 million tonnes last year.

Sinopec exported 3.9 million tonnes of oil products last year, up 18% from 1999. The company has increased products exports to boost revenues. Its profits were 20 billion yuan this year, compared with 7.3 billion yuan in 1999..