Royal Dutch Shell PLC has let a contract to KBR Inc., Houston, to provide technology for a solvent deasphalting (SDA) unit at subsidiary Shell Nederland Raffinaderij BV’s 404,000-b/d Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
KBR’s scope of work under the contract includes delivery of an SDA unit equipped with its proprietary residuum oil supercritical extraction (ROSE) technology, which the refinery will use to remove heavier fractions from and upgrade a larger portion of its crude feedstock into lighter, high-grade products, KBR said.
Designed to split residue from a mix of crudes into dasphalted oil and asphaltene, the ROSE unit will enable the refinery to produce a more varied product mix, as well as allow it greater flexibility in adjusting its production slate to respond to market developments, the service company said.
The unit additionally will help to reduce the environmental footprint of finished products manufactured at Pernis, KBR said.
Subject to permit approvals, construction on the SDA unit is scheduled to begin next year with, with the unit due to be completed by 2018.
Details regarding the value of the contract and proposed capacity of the unit were not disclosed.
Shell announced its plan to move forward with the new SDA unit at Pernis late last year (OGJ Online, Dec. 8, 2015).
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
