Koch Refining Co., Wichita, will build a series of heavy, sour crude conversion units at its 125,000 b/cd Corpus Christi refinery.
The project will include a coker, a gas oil hydrotreater, and associated support facilities. Construction is expected to require about 2 years.
John Ehlen, president of Koch Refining, said the project will enable the refinery to process virtually any low gravity, high sulfur crude in the world and provide flexibility to adjust product yields and quality to meet future market requirements.
It is the second phase of a series of major expansions to convert the refinery into a fully integrated 250,000 b/d plant. Construction is under way on a 120,000 b/d atmospheric and vacuum crude distillation unit, a distillate hydrotreater, expansion of the wastewater treatment unit, and expansion of the paraxylene unit.
To support expansion of the refinery, Koch purchased the Ingleside terminal, the Corpus Christi marine terminal, expanded its pipeline and gathering systems, and laid a pipeline to move products from the refinery to the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport with terminals in San Antonio, Austin, and Waco.
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