In this issue - CB&I

AUSTRALIA
CB&I Completes Clean Fuels Project in Australia
CB&I provided the engineering, procurement, construction and precommissioning
for a new hydrodesulfurization (HDS) plant at Shell's
refinery in Geelong, Australia, participating in one of the major
refinery development projects in Australia.
CB&I has a long tradition of working in Australia and has participated in
major refinery development projects in Australia for more than 50
years. In March 2002 CB&I was awarded a lump-sum turnkey EPC
contract valued in excess of A$90 million (approximately US$50 million)
by Shell Refining (Australia) Pty. Ltd. for a new Hydrodesulfurization
(HDS) plant at Shell's refinery in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Our
relationship with Shell is very extensive on a global basis and, in
Australia, has included involvement in the most recent major projects
undertaken at both the Geelong Refinery near Melbourne, and Clyde
refinery in Sydney. The Shell Geelong Refinery, situated approximately
70km Southwest of Melbourne, is the second-largest refinery in
Australia and produces 15 per cent of the country's petroleum products
(around 5.3 million tonnes of material per year) and about 50 per cent of
Victoria's petrol. This 50 year old refinery is the larger of the two Shell
refineries in Australia.
Following the global drive to cleaner petrol and diesel, the HDS plant,
which has a design capacity of 6,000 tonnes per day, is designed to
enable Shell to produce ultra-low sulfur diesel to meet the Australian
Government's new clean fuels specifications that will become effective
from January 2006. The plant acts as a reactor, removing sulfur from
diesel by converting it into hydrogen sulfide, which is subsequently
converted into solid sulfur for use as fertilizer. Lowering the sulfur
content of diesel in turn reduces particulate emissions from diesel
engines, resulting in a significant improvement in air quality. CB&I was
responsible for the detailed engineering, procurement, construction
and pre-commissioning of the project.
Site works began in early July 2002 with the clearing of disused plant
and excavations in preparation for pouring of 3,400 cubic meters of
concrete which would form the foundations for the plant.
In parallel with the civil works, mechanical erection of 14 pipe rack and
process modules started in late July 2002 at a yard established
specifically for modularization. This yard was located on the Brisbane
River approximately 2,400km to the north of the Shell site.
Mechanical erection at the Geelong site commenced with the
placement of pipe rack modules, 24m(L) x 8m(W) x 7m(H), onto
foundations at the end of February 2003. In all over 500 tonnes of
modules were placed by the end of June 2003. The centerpiece of the
plant, the 300 tonne reactor, was placed in October 2003 with
mechanical and electrical and instrumentation works continuing
through to early 2004.
Our team worked hard to meet Shell's best-in-class operational criteria.
Australia's most southerly sited refinery is now equipped to produce
fuels with a sulfur content of less than 50 ppm to meet the country's
new fuel specifications and to help secure its long-term future.
Mike Trzeciak