National Refinery to adopt US technology

Company to produce 40,000 barrels of diesel per day in 2016.

NEW YORK: National Refinery Limited has selected United States UOP’s new process technology designed to help refiners get more high-value product from each barrel of crude oil to maximise diesel and lubricant production, says a statement issued by UOP.

Pete Piotrowski, Vice President Process Technology & Equipment for Honeywell’s UOP said, “In integrated facility like NRL, Uni flex process technology can help refiners close this gap and increase their profitability.” NRL facility, scheduled for start-up in 2016, will produce 40,000 barrels per day of diesel fuel and 4,500 barrels per day of lube base oils.

UOP, a Honeywell company, developed Uniflex technology to help refiners processing bottom of barrel, heaviest portions of a barrel of crude also known as vacuum residue, into higher-value transportation fuels.

NRL will use Uni flex technology to upgrade its heavy residue into high-value distillate products. Of particular value to NRL is high yield of diesel from Uni flex technology, which is nearly double that of competing residue conversion technologies.

UOP provided process technology and solutions to Pakistan when its Dubbs Cracking process technology was licensed to Attock Refinery Ltd. NRL operates three refineries and a petrochemicals plant, including the only lube production facility in the region, and processes almost 2.5 million tons of crude per year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2012.