Esmeraldas Refinery Still Unable to Reach Normal Rates

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- According to Petroecuador’s representatives, Esmeraldas refinery is currently processing 104,500 barrels per day; however, by September 12, 2007, production will face a further 50% reduction for 20 days due to a planned maintenance shutdown in Crude 1 and Vacuum 1 in order to tackle the problems arising from coke accumulation in the Crude Distillation furnace tubes.

Ecuador is the fifth largest oil producer in South America with a 532,000 barrels of oil per day (b/d) production capacity. Petroecuador owns three refineries: 43,000 b/d La Libertad; 110,000 b/d Shushufindi; and 110,000 b/d Esmeraldas Refinery. The latter, which processes 65% of Ecuador’s fuel production, 40% of which is used for internal consumption, is still facing major problems due to the catalytic reforming fire which occurred on May 3. Esmeralda’s HDS, HDT diesel, HDT Naphtha, SRU 1 and 2 and Nitrogen units will remain shut down until the CCR is back online by the end of October 2007. For more details, view related June 14, 2007 news article - Ecuador’s Esmeraldas Refinery Faces Four Months CCR Shutdown

Esmeralda Refinery is currently processing 95% of its normal 110,000 barrels since even though Crude Distillation unit 2 is running at 100% of its normal 55,000 barrels per day capacity, furnace tube problems in Crude 1 arising from coke accumulation are being reflected by its low 90% production. The latter will remain producing 49,500 b/d instead of the 55,000 b/d it should be processing until Petroecuador tackles the problems arising from coke accumulation during the planned maintenance turnaround that is to start in such unit and Vacuum 1 on September 12, 2007. After the scheduled 17 mechanical days, Ecuador’s state owned Oil Company expects to have the unit running at 100% of its capacity. During this shut down, Esmeraldas is expected to process 40% of its total production.

An unexpected shutdown in the Visbreaker 2 occurred due to a leakage on August 23, 2007; the unit will remain offline until September 2, 2007 until maintenance team finishes repairing the welding of the residual stripper. At the refinery, 6 out of the total 14 processing units are online and, even though maintenance work in Crude 1 and Vacuum 1 is to be finished by the end of September, Petroecuador’s authorities will not have all the plant’s processing units back online before the end of October 2007 when maintenance work on CCR is finished.

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