UOP to supply technology, equipment for Pakistan Refinery clean fuels

Honeywell's UOP announced Thursday that Pakistan Refinery Ltd. (PRL) will use process technology and modular equipment from UOP to help the company meet growing domestic demand for gasoline.

The technology will help PRL convert naphtha, which it currently exports, to high-octane gasoline. PRL will use UOP's Penex process technology to produce isomerate, a high-value gasoline blending component. The use of isomerate will also help PRL’s efforts to produce environmentally-friendlier fuels that enable reduced passenger car emissions. 

PRL selected UOP to deliver the process unit in modular form to help ensure it is built to specification and delivered on time and on budget. 

“Our ability to deliver a total, modularized solution for PRL’s Penex unit provides reliable project execution from a quality, delivery and cost perspective,” said Pete Piotrowski, senior vice president and general manager of UOP's process technology and equipment business. 

“With our modular equipment offering, we provide detailed engineering design, procurement, and shop pre-fabrication of the process unit to provide the highest-quality end product," he added.

Refinery process units are usually built in the field by third-party engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies. UOP modular units, however, are built at an offsite fabrication shop -- where adverse weather and wind conditions do not cause delays. The modular units are fully inspected prior to delivery to the customer to help ensure quality and compliance to specifications. 

Reduced onsite installation time can potentially result in earlier start up, further optimizing customer project economics. UOP offers modularized equipment for refining, petrochemical and gas processing units. The offering provides single-point responsibility for dependable project execution in a variety of applications, according to UOP officials.

In addition to licensing and modular equipment, UOP will provide catalyst, adsorbent, engineering, technical support and a drier regeneration control system for extended catalyst life for PRL’s Penex unit, which will process 5,000 bpd of light naphtha. 

The unit is expected to start up by mid-2015.

As gasoline production evolves to meet new and more stringent product specifications, UOP’s Penex process allows refiners to upgrade light naphtha feedstock to produce isomerate, a gasoline blend-stock which does not contain benzene, aromatics or olefins. In addition, the process uses UOP’s portfolio of proven, high-activity isomerization and benzene saturation catalysts to remove benzene. 

To date, UOP has sold more than 220 Penex units, and its isomerization catalysts have been loaded into more than 300 units worldwide. 

Pakistan Refinery Ltd. is a hydro-skimming refinery which processes 50,000 bpd of crude oil to meet the strategic and domestic fuel requirements of the country. It is located on the coastal belt of Karachi, Pakistan.