Esmeraldas Refinery FCC unit restarted operations with alternate compressor

This Petroecuador release was published using machine translation.

The Esmeraldas Refinery Fluidized Catalytic Fractionation Unit (FCC) has restarted its operations, after successfully completing the adaptation and use of an F-C02 alternative air compressor, since May 14.

With the use of the F-C2 compressor, the FCC unit will operate at 61% of its capacity, as its air supply is not sufficient within its refining process. However, the technicians at the Esmeraldas Refinery have managed to stabilize the FCC's production, without causing mechanical wear to its infrastructure. The action did not represent additional expenses for the public company either, as it was carried out exclusively by EP PETROECUADOR personnel.

The measure is temporary, until the damages to the F-CO1 compressor are compensated, given after a failure in the National Interconnected System (SNI), in an estimated time of six months, a period defined once the technicians of the Esmeraldas Refinery opened and identified its mechanical damage.

Pablo Flores, General Manager of EP PETROECUADOR, highlighted the work of the technical staff of the Esmeraldas Refinery, noting that "their timely intervention has partially recovered the operation of the FFC, while complying with all the processes provided for in the public procurement law and repair work on equipment in poor condition . "

The FCC Unit produces petroleum derivatives as fuel gas for the production processes of the Esmeraldas Refinery, Liquefied Petroleum Gas - LPG, High Octane Naphtha used in the preparation of different gasoline and cyclical oils for the production of Fuel Oil.

On April 7, the FCC unit went out of business after failures of the National Interconnected System (SIN).