Petroleum Africa
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Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Recent times have been challenging to the oil and gas industry resulting from a drop in crude oil price combined with decreasing demand in certain key regions. Against the backdrop of project cancellations and postponements, an industry conference will discuss why now is the time for operators to expand and upgrade their facilities. BBTC Middle East & Africa 2015 – Bottom of the Barrel Technology Conference will bring the major players to Abu Dhabi to discuss optimum solutions for residue upgrading, which has become essential to Middle East and African refineries.
Stefan Chapman, Vice President of the host company Euro Petroleum Consultants [EPC] tell us “in today’s global and highly competitive refined product market, producers must be able to maximise margins on every barrel of crude processed. Simple refinery configurations are no longer competitive and residue upgrading is an essential design feature in any world class refinery complex. This is true whatever the crude type processed.”
In the sector, all eyes are on the future, both in the short and long term, with most organisations examining ways to ensure maximum profitability within the current climate. “Residue upgrading investments are a long term strategic upgrade to a refinery. Economic decisions need to reflect a longer term forecast to crude pricing” stresses Steve Catchpole of Johnson Matthey who will be speaking at the event. “In terms of the evolution of the sector, we envisage that catalytic options for residue upgrading in the presence of hydrogen will dominate the technologies employed for the new refinery and expansion globally. We will discuss this in detail at the conference.”
David Mc Namara, APR Technical Manager with conference sponsors Criterion Catalysts & Technologies shares his thoughts on how he sees residue upgrading evolving over the next few years, “with the need to produce more high quality transportation fuels such as diesel in line with more rapid population growth, higher amounts of heavier residue will need to be upgraded.” When asked what piece of advice would he give to those considering a residue upgrading project, David said “choose a reliable and robust design capable of dealing with ever-changing market economies.”
Middle East heavyweight KNPC will present their experience of residue desulfurization in bottom of the barrel upgrade schemes while Sonara (Société Nationale de Raffinage du Cameroun) alongside KT Kinetics Technology, the Phase 2 EPC contractor, will share their major refinery expansion project at their Limbé Refinery.
Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (TAKREER) will deliver an update on their Residue FCC Unit at the Ruwais Refinery discussing the current status and technology selection. The conference will also hear from the leading technology and providers in the residue upgrading sector such as UOP, ExxonMobil, Axens, Bechtel, and many more.
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