Inspenet, August 28, 2023.
The Talara refinery in Peru has successfully completed the catalytic cracking and flexicoking procedures (a refining process based on thermal cracking of heavy residues) and is now set to process up to 95,000 barrels of oil per day . In addition, starting in September, the state-owned Petroperú will begin selling liquefied petroleum gas in the north of the country.
The modernization of the Talara refinery has been completed
The state oil company announced in a statement that it has completed start-up operations for the most crucial units of the refinery. This modernization process has required several years of work and an investment that exceeds 5,000 million dollars .
The new processing units have the capacity to transform heavy crude residues into products with greater demand and value in the market. Petroperú ensures that these processes meet “rigorous quality standards” and guarantee greater profitability.
The technology used in the Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit is provided under license by Honeywell UOP, a US company. This technology makes it possible to process heavy diesel for the production of high-octane gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
On the other hand, the Flexicoking (FCK) unit represents the most complex facility within the new refinery and operates under license from the US oil company ExxonMobil . Its function is to process the residuals generated from heavy crudes, transforming them into products with higher added value, such as gasoline, diesel and LPG.
Likewise, flexigas, a fuel derived from coke, has been developed to minimize the consumption of natural gas. This flexigas will be used as a source of energy for the network of furnaces, boilers and electricity generation, thus creating a self-sufficient system, according to Petroperú.
The commissioning of the FCC and FCK units is reinforced by the desulfurization units, which began operating in February of this year. The purpose of these units is to increase the production of fuels with low sulfur emissions, with levels below 50 parts per million.
The new Talara refinery has been designed not to depend on a specific type of heavy crude, since it is equipped to process various varieties available in the Peruvian and international markets, according to the company.
In addition, it was announced that the commercialization of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the northern region of the country will begin on September 1, “when the corresponding inventories are available.”
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