Valero Energy selected CB&I to provide the engineering, procurement, and construction of several process units for an Ultra Low Diesel Processing Facility at its St. Charles, Louisiana refinery. These process units include an integrated 57,000 barrels per stream day (BPSD) UniCracking/UniFining unit (HC/HT) using UOP technology, light ends unit, a 2,100 gallons per minute (GPM) diethanolamine (DEA) amine regeneration unit, a 500 GPM sour water stripping unit, a tail gas treating unit, and a 260 liquid tons per day (LTPD) sulfur recovery unit, along with associated utilities and support equipment.
The civil phase of the combined project consisted of 4,400 piles, 10,000 cubic yards of concrete and 200,000 square feet of paving. The mechanical and structural phase consisted of 3,500 tons of fireproofed steel and 250,000 linear feet of pipe, while the electrical and instrument phase included two MCC buildings.
The HC/HT unit includes three reactor trains purchased by Valero that were delivered to the Port of New Orleans by ship. Because of the weight of these reactors and highway restrictions, these pieces were barged in from the Port of New Orleans, up the Mississippi River to an offload site near the Valero Refinery facilities. Mammoet, USA, Inc., a heavy lift and transport group, was subcontracted to coordinate and perform barge loading and unloading, transport through the streets of Norco, Louisiana and lifting and setting of these reactors. The project totaled 1.5 million work-hours and had a field peak staff of 1,000.
