Ruwais refinery ... cutting run rates
Adnoc cuts Ruwais refinery run rates after start-up problems
SINGAPORE, May 12, 2015
State-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (Adnoc) has lowered the operating rate at its newly expanded Ruwais refinery to about 50 per cent after a new unit encountered start-up problems, industry sources said.
The refinery, whose capacity will more than double from 415,000 barrels per day, had to shut a 127,000 bpd residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit due to technical problems after it had operated for just three days, one source said.
The operating rate had been ramped up to nearly 90 per cent of capacity when the RFCC started up but that was reduced to about 50 per cent after the unit had to shut.
The unit is expected to restart in late May, the source said. It is common for new units at refineries to face start-up problems, traders said.
Once gasoline production from the RFCC unit is stable, Adnoc will no longer need to import gasoline and the country might even have small volumes to export, sources have said.
Adnoc began operations at a near-60,000-bpd hydrocracking unit at the expanded refinery in late April, industry sources said.
The hydrocracker, as well as crude distillation units and three hydrotreaters, are operating normally, the first source said.
The RFCC and hydrocracker are secondary units that produce higher-value products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel.
The expanded refinery is expected to double its jet fuel and diesel production, stepping up exports from the refinery and dragging down Asian middle distillates margins, traders said.
Separately, Adnoc reduced operating rates at its condensate splitter because of reduced feedstock, an industry source said. Further details were not immediately available. -- Reuters
