Contract let in PDVSA refinery upgrade

The prime contractor for an upgrade of the 180,000-b/d Petroleos de Venezuela SA refinery at Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, has let a contract for construction of key modularized units to Wison Offshore & Marine Ltd. (OGJ Online, July 29, 2011).

After completion of the project, the refinery, which now runs light and medium crude oil, will be able to process 210,000 b/d of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil from Venezuela’s Orinoco region.

The project includes construction of a 50,000-b/d deep-conversion unit based on HDH Plus technology developed by Intevep, PDVSA’s research unit. It also includes a three-train sequential hydroprocessing unit, a 130,000-b/d three-train vacuum unit, upgrade of two atmospheric distillation units, auxiliary and service units, interconnections, and tanks.

Wison Offshore received the contract from Hyundai-Wison, a consortium of Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd., Hyundai Engineering Co. Ltd., and Wison Engineering Ltd. that holds the engineering, procurement, and construction contract.

Wison Offshore, for which the project represents a first in onshore module fabrication, will provide pipe racks and equipment modules weighing about 26,000 tonnes, handling fabrication design of the steel structures, material procurement, construction, precommissioning, and loadout. Hyundai-Wison will provide the pipeline, equipment, and electric facilities and instrumentation.