NewsWhore
04-13-2010, 04:50 PM
The government is seeking to double the amount of gasoline and diesel produced at the Dominican Petroleum Refinery (Refidomsa). The government expects to advance on the deal that sells 49% of the shares to the PDVSA, the Venezuelan petroleum company with the signing of the agreement during a visit of President Leonel Fernandez to Venezuela next week. The agreement would be submitted to Congress, where the ruling PLD party dominates.
Diario Libre also reports on plans to expand production. The expansion is likely to cost between US$400 and US$600 million. The plant currently handles 34,000 barrels of crude oil a day, and there are plans to expand to 50,000 barrels and then to 100,000 barrels with a view to exporting products to other Caribbean islands. This would require an investment of between US$2 and US$2.5 billion, which would come from the Venezuelan government.
Refidomsa general manager Viriato Sanchez told Diario Libre that five plants would be installed. One would have the capacity to reduce the sulfur level of the products, another to eliminate wax and paraffin, another to produce hydrogen, and sulfur processing and isomerization plants that will permit the increase of the octane rating and the production of more gasoline. Following the transfer of the 50% share ownership of Shell to the Dominican government in November 2008, he said the government began looking into ways to store more supplies and increase dispatch capacity for propane gas (LPG).
The maximum capacity for dispatching LPG was just 20,000 barrels per day while daily demand was for 27,000 barrels.
Faced with this problem, the first priority was to increase the capacity to dispatch LPG. There were only three dispatch valves with which to disburse 20,000 barrels. In October 2009, the refinery installed a fourth valve that allows the dispatch of 27,000 barrels a day.
The second process, explained Sanchez, was the acquisition of OPUVISA from the Central Bank at a price of US$30 million. This acquisition, which doubled the refinery's storage capacity, adds five more valves for filling tank trucks in Azua. The refinery went from three to four in Haina and then added five more in Azua, all in 2009 with resources from the refinery itself.
Refidomsa is now at work on the installation of a pipeline to the wharf, and they should be finished in June. These pipelines will enable the refinery to export airplane fuel (avgas) to the Caribbean islands and to other distributors. Sanchez said that since September the refinery is already producing more jet fuel than the country can consume, and that orders can be made over the Internet.
The country's total fuel market of propane gas, gasoline, avtur, diesel and fuel oil surpassed 38.6 million barrels (1.6 billion gallons) last year.
Diario Libre reports the local market is at 26.8 million barrels. Importers are: Coastal 5.6 million, Esso 1.2 million, Maxxon 219,433, Rotura 91,289, Mundogas 51,545 and power generators 4.65 million.
Last year Refidomsa made 54.6% of fuel imports, or 26.1 million barrels, of which 35.6% consisted of crude while 64.4% were refined products. Last year, the country imported 47.9 million barrels of crude and refined products, or 2.01 billion gallons and 402.7 million gallons of propane, 320.7 million gallons of fuel oil, 232.7 million of regular diesel and 61.2 million gallons of premium diesel.
In 2009 the DR imported 171.3 million gallons of premium gasoline, 64 million of regular gasoline, 73.7 million gallons of jet fuel (avtur), 15.6 million gallons of naphtha, 280.9 million gallons of natural gas and 390.5 million gallons of crude oil.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)
Diario Libre also reports on plans to expand production. The expansion is likely to cost between US$400 and US$600 million. The plant currently handles 34,000 barrels of crude oil a day, and there are plans to expand to 50,000 barrels and then to 100,000 barrels with a view to exporting products to other Caribbean islands. This would require an investment of between US$2 and US$2.5 billion, which would come from the Venezuelan government.
Refidomsa general manager Viriato Sanchez told Diario Libre that five plants would be installed. One would have the capacity to reduce the sulfur level of the products, another to eliminate wax and paraffin, another to produce hydrogen, and sulfur processing and isomerization plants that will permit the increase of the octane rating and the production of more gasoline. Following the transfer of the 50% share ownership of Shell to the Dominican government in November 2008, he said the government began looking into ways to store more supplies and increase dispatch capacity for propane gas (LPG).
The maximum capacity for dispatching LPG was just 20,000 barrels per day while daily demand was for 27,000 barrels.
Faced with this problem, the first priority was to increase the capacity to dispatch LPG. There were only three dispatch valves with which to disburse 20,000 barrels. In October 2009, the refinery installed a fourth valve that allows the dispatch of 27,000 barrels a day.
The second process, explained Sanchez, was the acquisition of OPUVISA from the Central Bank at a price of US$30 million. This acquisition, which doubled the refinery's storage capacity, adds five more valves for filling tank trucks in Azua. The refinery went from three to four in Haina and then added five more in Azua, all in 2009 with resources from the refinery itself.
Refidomsa is now at work on the installation of a pipeline to the wharf, and they should be finished in June. These pipelines will enable the refinery to export airplane fuel (avgas) to the Caribbean islands and to other distributors. Sanchez said that since September the refinery is already producing more jet fuel than the country can consume, and that orders can be made over the Internet.
The country's total fuel market of propane gas, gasoline, avtur, diesel and fuel oil surpassed 38.6 million barrels (1.6 billion gallons) last year.
Diario Libre reports the local market is at 26.8 million barrels. Importers are: Coastal 5.6 million, Esso 1.2 million, Maxxon 219,433, Rotura 91,289, Mundogas 51,545 and power generators 4.65 million.
Last year Refidomsa made 54.6% of fuel imports, or 26.1 million barrels, of which 35.6% consisted of crude while 64.4% were refined products. Last year, the country imported 47.9 million barrels of crude and refined products, or 2.01 billion gallons and 402.7 million gallons of propane, 320.7 million gallons of fuel oil, 232.7 million of regular diesel and 61.2 million gallons of premium diesel.
In 2009 the DR imported 171.3 million gallons of premium gasoline, 64 million of regular gasoline, 73.7 million gallons of jet fuel (avtur), 15.6 million gallons of naphtha, 280.9 million gallons of natural gas and 390.5 million gallons of crude oil.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#1)