Chevron plans heavy oil upgrade at US refinery

06 March 2008 15:44  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--Chevron will build a 3,500 bbl/day pre-commercial plant at its 325,000 bbl/day refinery in Pascagoula, Mississippi to test the viability of its new heavy oil upgrading technology, called Vacuum Resid Slurry Hydrocracking (VRSH), the US oil major said on Thursday.

 

Construction is expected to start later this year. Financial terms were not disclosed.

 

VRSH had the potential to significantly increase yields of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from heavy and ultra-heavy crude oils and could be used to increase and upgrade production of heavy oil resources, Chevron said.

 

“Given the increasing role of heavy oil in meeting the world’s growing energy demand and our significant heavy oil resources, this technology could provide a unique pathway to increase supplies of clean-burning fuels for the marketplace,” said Mike Wirth, executive vice president of Chevron’s global downstream business.

 

For more on Chevron’s Pascagoula facilit see ICIS plants and projects

By: Stefan Baumgarten
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