State-owned Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company (Orpic) has completed the installation of a 42-m massive hydrocracker reactor as part of its Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP), a report said.

The hydrocracker reactor, the first of its kind in the sultanate, weighing approximately 950 metric tonnes, is the heaviest piece of equipment that makes up the multi-billion dollar SRIP scheme, said the Oman Daily Observer report.

Extensive preparatory works were carried out over a period of two months prior to the installation of the hydrocracker, with the actual installation transpiring in a single day with the assistance of two cranes, and a heavy lift team comprising 36 personnel, said the report.

The hydrocracker, which is a two-stage unit, is one of the most critical units for Orpic’s future Sohar Refinery operations.

Operated at a pressure of 160 bar, and temperature of around 400 degrees Celsius, the design of unit includes built-in features that enable a quick response to various emergency situations.

The latest additions will enable Orpic to meet increasing demand of petroleum products in the sultanate, as well as reducing refinery emissions and improving refinery margins.

The hydrocracker unit will result in increased distillates production complying with Euro V specifications.

Operation of the hydrocracker unit will require a high level of skill; therefore specialist training, by a process licenser and operator, is being provided to Orpic, it said.

The Sohar Refinery Improvement Project (SRIP) is scheduled for commissioning in 2016. It is being delivered in response to the need to upgrade Orpic’s refining capability in order to further maximise the value of Omani crude oil, and to ensure that the sultanate’s increasing demand for fuel will be met, added the report.