Vacuum, Asphalt,Drum Making, Filling
Spheres. Plants and LPG Storage.

Introduction.

Developing the Refinery Yield was essential. A modest start in this direction was indicated whereby a contract with Technipetrol SPA was signed on 19th August, 1984
to construct a Vacuum Unit, Asphalt blowing unit,Drum Making, filling plant and LPG
Storage Spheres.
The justification for this project derives from import substitution and upgrading
of low value products into higher products.The project was completed by the end of 1987.

1) Project Units and Plant discreption.

1-1 )Vacuum Distillation Unit:-

The Vacuum Distillation Unit is capable of processing 10,000 BPCD of
650 F TBP and heavier ionh residium from any of four Middle East crude oils to produce a vacuum residium suitable, after additional processing, for sale as asphalt as well as premium grade vacuum gas oils suitable for FCC feed stock. Provisions are also included to recover the contained diesel boiling range components as a separate product.The four Middle East crude oils considered are 34.5 API Light Arabian, API Light Arabian, 34.3 API Light Iranian, 31.3 API Kuwait Export and 27.0 API Heavy
Arabian.

1-2) Asphalt Blowing Unit:-

The Asphalt Blowing Unit operates continuously, and has a base design capacity of 100,000 LT/Year of asphalt, produced from Light Arabian vacuum resudue in 310 operating days per year.
For more easily oxidised feedstocks, such as Light Iranian vacuum residue, the production rate may be increased without increasing the size of the oxidiser, air blowers
or tail gas equipment (including the incinerator). Pipelines carrying liquid, pumps, heat
exchangers and storage tank have been designed to provide sufficient "hydraulic" capacity for the increased production rate. The Asphalt Blowing Unit is capable of turndown to 50.000 LT/Year, also based on an operating year of 310 days.

1-3) Drum Making and Drum Filling Units.

The Drum Making and Drum Filling Units are specified to match the base design
asphalt capacity of 100,000 LT/Year, operating with two eight hours shifts per day:

1-3-1) Drum Making Unit production capacity.
- 133 drums/hour at 100 % efficiency.
- 100 drums/hour at 75 % "

1-3-2) Drum Filling Unit production capacity.
- Filling rate (operating) 100 drum/hour
- Filling rate (design) 120 drum/hour
- Drum capacity 220 litres.

1-4)LPG Storage.

The LPG storage expansion includes the installation of three new spheres A,B & C at Refinery foreshore area, for the storage of LPG, supplied from the existing Refinery.

Each Spheres diameter ------------ o 14,800 MM

Each Spheres nominal capacity ---------- 1,700M