Hydrotreating on the island

Paris, France-based Technip has been awarded a lump sum turnkey contract by Hovensa to build a new hydrotreating unit at its refinery in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. The 495,000 barrels per stream day St. Croix Refinery is one of the world’s largest refineries.

The 50,000 barrels per stream day low sulphur FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracker) gasoline hydrotreater, based on ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company's SCANfining process, will produce low-sulphur gasoline in compliance with the new gasoline regulation in the US.

Technip’s engineering centre in Rome will carry out the contract, which covers the front-end and detail engineering, procurement and supply of equipment and materials, construction, pre-commissioning, commissioning and assistance to start-up.

The project is slated to be completed in November 2006.

Hovensa is a joint Venture owned in equal parts by subsidiaries of PDVSA (the State-owned Venezuelan oil company) and Amerada Hess, a leading US oil company.