Kazakhstan Petrochemical Industries Inc. LLP (KPII) has approved CB&I, Houston, to proceed with project management services for a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit and polypropylene plant to be added as part of KPII’s previously delayed, long-planned project to build a gas processing complex in Kazakhstan’s western Atyrau region.
CB&I received notice to proceed with its scope of work on KPII’s project on Dec. 11, the service provider said.
Award of project management services to CB&I follows KPII’s previous contract award to Lummus Technology Inc., a CB&I company, for the license and basic engineering of the PDH unit and polypropylene plant (OGJ Online, Apr. 13, 2011).
The 550,000-tonne/year PDH unit will be equipped with CB&I’s Catofin technology to convert propane to propylene, while the 500,000-tpy polypropylene plant will use CB&I’s Novolen advanced gas-phase technology, according to KPII’s web site.
Part of the first phase of the integrated complex, the PDH unit intends to use gas produced from Tengiz and Kashagan oil fields to produce propylene as feedstock for the polypropylene plant, KPII said.
A second-phase of the complex envisages construction of a polyethylene production plant.
Petrochemicals produced at the complex will be sold to both domestic and export markets.
KPII, which began construction in 2013 on the then $6.3-billion project, at that time anticipated both phases of the complex—including an 800,000-tpy ethylene plant—to be fully operational by 2016, according to the company’s 2013 annual update to investors.
A revised timeline for startup of either phase of the planned complex has yet to be revealed.
Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].
