US-based Bechtel has signed a licence agreement with Egypt’s Asyut Oil Refining Company (ASORC) to supply technology for a delayed coking unit at the Asyut refinery.

ASORC is a subsidiary of state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC)

The unit is part of a $1.5bn refinery modernisation programme.

Bechtel says the delayed coking unit would use its propriety coking technology known as ThruPlus.

“Implementation of Bechtel’s ThruPlus technology combined with our delayed coking expertise and extensive experience of our people will increase the efficiency of the Asyut refinery,” says Dan Olsen, president of Bechtel Hydrocarbon Technology Solutions.

ASORC says the unit will help to ramp up production of refined products in Upper Egypt.

“Investment in the Asyut Refinery will increase production of petroleum products to meet Upper Egypt’s growing demands, while maintaining important environmental standards,” says Nagi Abd el-Ghaffar Kassab, chairman of ASORC.

“The addition of a modern delayed coking unit was determined to be the most economical option to allow the refinery to increase complexity and eliminate heavy fuel oil products.”

Bechtel Hydrocarbon Technology Solutions acquired ThruPlus technology from the US’ ConocoPhillips in 2011.

In April, it was announced that Australia-based engineering group WorleyParsons has been awarded the project management consultancy (PMC) contract for the Asyut refinery expansion project.

WorleyParsons will develop the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages, review the bids, then manage and supervise the EPC contractors during the execution phase of the scheme.

The new facilities will have the capacity to provide 660,000 tonnes a year (t/y) of high-octane gasoline and different grades of gasoline.

The complex will meet 75 per cent of demand in the neighbouring provinces, WorleyParsons said in April. Asyut is located on the Nile, about 375 kilometres south of Cairo.