By OGJ editors
HOUSTON, Nov. 1 -- Marathon Oil Corp. has approved a projected $1.9 billion expansion and heavy oil upgrade project at its 100,000 b/cd refinery in Detroit.
The project will increase the refinery's heavy oil processing capacity, including Canadian bitumen blends, by about 80,000 b/d and will increase its total refining capacity by about 15%, to 115,000 b/d.
When completed in late 2010, the project will add more than 400,000 gpd of clean transportation fuels to the market. Construction is expected to begin in late 2007 or early 2008, subject to regulatory approvals.
The Detroit heavy oil upgrade project will include a 28,000 b/d delayed coker, a 280 tonne/day sulfur recovery complex, and a 33,000 b/d distillate hydrotreater.
In addition, an associated pipeline will be built. Construction on the 29-mile pipeline segment is expected to begin in mid-2009 with completion in 2010.
Marathon completed an expansion at the Detroit refinery in late 2005 that increased crude capacity to its current capacity from 74,000 b/d (OGJ, Online, Sept. 30, 2005).
