Brazil Petrobras revises Comperj, reveals petchem capacities

20 August 2011 00:14  [Source: ICIS news]

HOUSTON (ICIS)--Brazil-based energy producer Petrobras has reconfigured its massive Complexo Petroquimico do Rio de Janeiro (Comperj), reflecting the addition of a second refinery and the use of feedstock ethane, the company said on Friday.

The company also revealed proposed capacity figures for several petrochemicals to be produced at the complex.

Under the previous plans, Comperj would rely on one refinery to produce feedstock naphtha for its downstream chemicals.

In addition, Comperj would use the resulting feedstock to produce 600,000 tonnes/year of polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Under the new plans, Comperj will have two refineries and a natural-gas treatment plant, which will provide the complex with feedstock ethane, Petrobras said.  

Petrobras made the changes so it could meet rising demand in Brazil.

In addition, Comperj will not immediately begin PET production, Petrobras said. Instead, it will produce the PET intermediary paraxylene (PX).

That PX feedstock will go to the Petroquimica Suape complex in northeast Brazil, satisfying half of that facility's feedstock needs.

The Suape complex will produce 700,000 tonnes/year of purified terephthalic acid (PTA), the feedstock for PET.

Under the latest timeline, the first refinery train will begin by 2014. It will have a capacity of 165,000 bbl/day. The second train will start in 2018.

A fluid catalytic cracker will also start in 2018.

A steam cracker and a polypropylene (PP) train will start production in 2016, as well as polyethylene (PE), styrene, EG and other chemical units. The second PP train will start in 2018.

Production of PTA and PET could start after 2018.

The following lists the old and new capacities for Comperj in tonnes/year.

Product	New	Old
PP	900,000	850,000
PE	960,000	800,000
Butadiene	154,000	160,000
PET	NA	600,000
Styrene	400,000	500,000
EG	380,000	600,000
Benzene	355,000	608,000
PX	480,000	NA

Among refinery products, Comperj will produce 180,000 bbl/day of diesel; 40,000 bbl/day of kerosene and jet fuel; 9,000 bbl/day of base oils and lubricants; and 50,000 bbl/day of naphtha.

For more on olefins and polyolefins visit ICIS chemical intelligence

By: Al Greenwood
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