State-owned Orpic of Oman will use the UOP/Foster Wheeler Solvent Deasphalting (SDA) process at its 116,000 b/sd refinery in Sohar, which is being expanded to a capacity of 187,000 b/sd (OGJ, Mar. 14, 2011, Newsletter).
The new SDA unit will be able to convert 50,000 b/d of heavy crude into low-contaminant deasphalted oil, which can be converted into light products. The Sohar refinery processes a blend of Oman Export Blend crude and long residue from the 106,000 Mina Al-Fahal refinery near Muscat.
Orpic was formed in June through the integration of Oman Refineries & Petrochemicals Co. LLC, Aromatics LLC, and Oman Polypropylene LLC. It’s owned by the government and state-owned Oman Oil Co. SAOC.
Bob Tippee has been chief editor of Oil & Gas Journal since January 1999 and a member of the Journal staff since October 1977. Before joining the magazine, he worked as a reporter at the Tulsa World and served for four years as an officer in the US Air Force. A native of St. Louis, he holds a degree in journalism from the University of Tulsa.
