Pequiven to triple methanol export capacity at Jose

01 April 2009 21:35  [Source: ICIS news]

CARACAS (ICIS news)--Venezuela’s Pequiven will triple its methanol export capacity beginning this month with the completion of an upgrade to its petrochemical docking facility, the company said on Wednesday.

The facility at the Jose Petrochemical Complex in eastern Venezuela currently has the capacity to export 1.5m tonnes/year for its joint venture partners Super Octanos, Supermetanol and Metor.

As part of the $40m (€30m) project, the company installed two additional pipelines to export methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and iso-octane for Super Octanos, and a methanol pipeline each for Supermetanol and Metor. 

The improvements will increase the average number of ships/year the facility can handle at its docks to 280 from 80.

Last year, Supermetanol’s methanol output rose 14% to 725,000 tonnes/year from 637,000 tonnes/year.

Metor produced 661,000 tonnes of methanol in 2007 out of a projected 686,000 tonnes, and is in the midst of a $480m project that is expected to boost its production capacity to 1.6m tonnes/year from its current 750,000 tonnes/year.

($1 = €0.75)

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By: Jasmina Kelemen
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