SINCOR UPGRADING DEBOTTLENECKING PROJECT

Tecnoconsult in partnership with Foster Wheeler used proven and effective design, engineering and construction management tools and processes for a debottlenecking and main shutdown project at the Sincor Upgrader Plant in Jose, Venezuela. Our scope of work will include maintenance shutdown activities and equipment modifications to achieve the plant’s overall design production by increasing the throughput in 20%. The facilities involves in this project include process units as Crude Distillation and Desalting, Vacuum Distillation, Delayed Coker, Gas Recovery, Naphtha / Distillate Hydro Treating, Mild Hydro Cracking, Hydrogen Manufacturing, Amine regeneration, Sour Water Stripping, Claus Sulphur Recovery and Tail Gas Treating. Also some modification in Waste Water Treatment System and Utilities Supplies.

The Sincor development involves producing heavy crude on land at Zuata in the Orinoco Belt, transporting this output to the coast and upgrading it to a light, low-sulphur crude. Today, some 200,000 barrels of heavy crude are produced per day from Zuata, which lies about 300 kms southeast of the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Heavy crude is being piped to the port of Jose, where the upgrading facility turns out roughly 180,000 barrels per day of a high-quality, synthetic sweet crude known as Zuata Sweet. In addition, the Jose facility produces sulphur and petroleum coke (petcoke) for sale on the international market.