Eni starts slurry technology project at Italy refinery
Italian oil and gas major Eni has started work on applying Eni Slurry Technology (EST) at its Sannazzaro de' Burgondi refinery, located near Pavia in northern Italy.
EST is Eni's proprietary technology for the conversion of heavy oil residues in fine products, gasoline and gasoil.
The EST technology, funded by Eni with an investment of over €1.1bn, is based on a hydro-conversion process developed through a special catalyst and a current of hydrogen self-produced starting from methane.
That means that EST also can transform methane into a high-quality liquid fuel through hydrogen production, the company said.
The technology allows Eni to produce gasoline and gasoil without coke or fuel oil, making the Sannazzaro a zero fuel oil refinery. Officials noted that coke and fuel oil markets were "constantly declining".
The project, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012 with the start of a 23,000 bpd plant, commenced during the 1990s at the company’s San Donato Milanese labs.
Works continued at the Taranto refinery, where a 1,200 bpd demo plant started operations in 2005, representing the reference point of the Sannazzaro plant.
The design of the new plant, which will be carried out in accordance with the highest technological and environmental standards, began in 2008 and involved Saipem for the engineering activities, company officials said.
About 1,000 construction employees are currently on site at the refinery, with as many as 2,000 expected at its peak, Eni said.
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