Basra cracker tender expected in 2012

30 May 2011

APS Engineering and Axens providing design and technology licence for the scheme

Iraq will launch engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) tenders for a new fluid catalyst cracker (FCC) unit in early 2012 for the Basra Refinery in the south of Iraq.

The client, state-owned South Refining Company (SRC) selected Rome-based APS Engineering, a subsidiary of Japans JGC to carry out the front-end engineering and design (feed) for the scheme in February. This should be completed by the end of 2011, says a source close to the scheme.

France’s Axens was selected to provide a technology licence for the FCC unit.

The 150,000 barrel-a-day (b/d) Basra Refinery is nearing the completion of its expansion and upgrading plans being executed by Prokop Engineering and Technoexport, both of the Czech Republic, which won EPC deals 2008.

Iraq is planning to build four new refineries, costing $23bn with a total processing capacity of 740,000 b/d, which would roughly double its existing refinery capacity. The US’ UOP was selected on 25 May to provide technology for several units, including a cracker at the planned Nassiriya refinery, also in the south of Iraq. Design work will begin in the second quarter of 2011 (MEED 26:5:11).

The three current refineries have a combined capacity of 700,000 b/d along with a number of smaller refineries scattered across the country, although actual output is closer to 500,000 b/d. The largest of these, at 310,000 b/d, is the Baiji refinery in the north of the country.

A MEED Subscription...

Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.