(EnergyAsia, January 26 2012, Thursday) --- Engineering giant Foster Wheeler said a subsidiary of its Global Engineering and Construction Group has been awarded a contract by Petron Corporation to upgrade its oil refinery in Bataan in the Philippines.
 
Foster Wheeler said it will execute detailed engineering and procurement services for the delayed coker unit (DCU), including the engineering and material supply of two double-fired Terrace WallTM coker heaters as part of the company’s Master Plan-2 Project for the refinery.

The DCU will have a design capacity of 37,500 barrels per stream day and is a key part of this significant refinery upgrade. Foster Wheeler said that earlier, it was awarded the process design package and technology licence for the DCU.

Umberto della Sala, chief operating officer of Foster Wheeler AG, said:

“Coker units are complex, and we always recommend Foster Wheeler detailed engineering and critical procurement to realise the full operational benefits of our well-designed, well-constructed delayed coking unit.

“We believe that this award reflects Petron’s confidence in the added value that we will bring to this project and in our fast-track, cost-effective execution plan.”

Foster Wheeler said its SYDEC process is a thermal conversion process used by refiners worldwide to upgrade heavy residue feed and process it into high value transport fuels. The SYDEC process can be designed to maximise clean liquid yields while minimizing fuel coke yields from high sulphur residues.

By installing a SYDEC unit, a refinery owner is able to process heavier crudes, which sell at a discount to the benchmark light, sweet crudes, thereby allowing the owner to receive the benefit of increased refining margins.