Colombia's Ecopetrol Plans Petrochemical Complex

---

Español

Researched by Industrial Info Resources Latin America (Cordoba, Argentina)--Colombia's state-operated energy and chemical firm Ecopetrol SA (NYSE:EC) (Bogota, Colombia) plans to construct a new petrochemical site in two phases. The first phase will be the construction of polymer production units, and the second phase will be the construction of aromatic production units in Cartagena, Colombia.

The company already has a 50,000-metric-ton-per-year polyethylene unit at its site in Barrancabermeja, Colombia, and approximately 500,000 metric tons per year of polypropylene production units in Cartagena. Another 150,000 metric tons per year of propylene and aromatics capacity comes from the company's refineries in Barrancabermeja and Cartagena.

The new petrochemical site is expected to have five production units in its first construction phase. The second phase could consist of the construction of two aromatic units, one polyethylene terephthalate (PET) unit and one purified terephthalic acid (PTA) unit. The five production units will be an ethane cracker; a polypropylene unit; a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) unit; a high density polyethylene (HDPE) unit; and a low density polyethylene unit (LDPE).

Ecopetrol is currently seeking partners for the new petrochemical site and expects to create a joint venture by the end of this year. The project's first phase is expected cost Ecopetrol an investment of approximately $3 billion. The construction is expected to kick off in late 2013 and will last about three years.

View Plant Profile - 3019383
View Project Report - 300025259 300025296 300025287 300025293 300025266

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.