PT Pertamina (Persero) has entered a series of licensing agreements with Axens SA, Rueil-Malmaison, France, for technologies to be implemented as part of modernization and upgrading projects at the 260,000-b/d refinery in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, and 348,000-b/d Cilacap refinery in Central Java.
At the Balikpapan refinery, Axens will deliver technology licensing for a grassroots 90,000-b/sd R2R residual fluid catalytic cracking (RFCC) unit, an Sulfrex LPG sulfur removal unit, a propylene recovery unit, and an 80,000-b/sd Prime-D middle distillate hydrotreater for a project aimed at upgrading residue into gasoline, the service company said.
The gasoline produced by the RFCC will be selectively hydrodesulfurized to produce ultra-clean gasoline in a 48,000-b/sd unit equipped with Axens’ proprietary Prime-G+technology.
At the Cilacap refinery, Axens will deliver a grassroots 36,000-b/sd distillate hydrotreater equipped with its proprietary Prime-D technology to allow production of ultralow-sulfur diesel.
Alongside helping Pertamina to reduce Indonesia’s dependence on foreign imports of transportation fuels, the projects also will enable the refineries manufacture a product slate that complies with heightened fuel-quality specifications.
While Axens did not disclose a value of the contracts, these latest contract awards follow Pertamina’s announcement in 2014 that it would undertake a 10-year, $25 billion plan to modernize five of its Indonesian refineries as part of an initiative to ensure long-term energy security for the country (OGJ Online, Dec. 15, 2014).
In July, Pertamina let a contract to CB&I, Houston, to provide technology licensing and engineering design for a grassroots alkylation unit to be built as part of the Balikpapan refinery’s upgrade and modernization (OGJ Online, July 25, 2016).
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
