ENOC nears commissioning of Jebel Ali refinery expansion project

State-owned Emirates National Oil Co. (ENOC) of Dubai is nearing completion of subsidiary ENOC Processing Co. LLC’s more than $1-billion Jebel Ali condensate refinery expansion project (OGJ Online, Apr. 11, 2017; Aug. 18, 2016).

The expansion, which included the addition of new units and infrastructure on an area bigger than six football fields to increase the refinery’s processing capacity to 210,000 b/sd from 140,000 b/sd, has completed final testing, TechnipFMC PLC said in a post to its official LinkedIn account.

The service provider, which provided engineering, procurement, and construction services for the expansion’s new 70,000-b/sd condensate processing train, LPG-naphtha hydrotreater, isomerization unit, kerosine hydrotreater, and diesel hydrotreater, did not disclose a specific timeframe for official commissioning of the project (OGJ Online, Sept. 19, 2016).

Alongside playing a key role in helping ENOC to meet UAE’s growing domestic demand for energy and becoming self-sufficient in domestic fuels, the proposed refinery expansion also forms part of the state-run firm’s commitment to increase its slate of oil products available for export to international markets.

With UAE’s energy demand rising at about 9%/year and Dubai’s population alone anticipated to reach 5.2 million by 2030 from its current 2.5 million, ENOC previously said it will continue to invest in key projects to meet this constant growth.

Following full commissioning—which previously was scheduled for startup in fourth-quarter 2019—the expanded Jebel Ali refinery will be able to produce Euro 5-quality gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel to help meet rising domestic demand for fuel in accord with Dubai’s national plan for growth through 2021.