Premcor starts up new coker unit at Port Arthur refinery

Premcor Inc. announced that it is currently in the start-up process for its newly constructed 80,000-bpd delayed coker at its Port Arthur, TX, refinery.

The coker unit was started on November 30 and is currently averaging approximately 50,000 bpd of throughput. The company anticipates the coker will achieve full operations by the end of December. The start-up of the coker unit is part of the final construction phase of an $835 million heavy oil upgrade project at the refinery.

The heavy oil upgrade project will allow the refinery to process heavy, sour crude oil of up to approximately 80% of its 250,000-bpd capacity. It consists of an 80,000-bpd coker unit (one of the largest in the U.S.), a 35,000-bpd hydrocracker and a 417 long tons per day sulfur complex.

The sulfur complex began operations in early November and the hydrocracker is scheduled to begin operations within the next few weeks. The project is currently on schedule and within budget.

Premcor owns four petroleum refineries with 565,000 bpd of total crude oil throughput capacity through its principal operating subsidiaries, The Premcor Refining Group and Port Arthur Coker Company. Premcor's principal shareholders are affiliates of The Blackstone Group (80%) and Occidental Petroleum (19%).

Edited by David Nakamura
Managing Editor, Hydrocarbon Online
dnakamura@hydrocarbononline.com