CNPC to finish Huabei refinery upgrade by 2012

State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) plans to complete the 93 billion yuan (US$1.36 billion) upgrade of its 10 million metric ton per year (201,370 barrels per day) Huabei refinery at Renqiu in Heibei province by October 2012 and to start commercial operations by December 2012, CNPC said. The Huabei refinery has an installed capacity to process 10 million metric tons per year of crude oil, but its actual crude processing capacity is 5 million metric tons per year, which is the capacity of its secondary refining facilities. Once the upgrade is complete, the Huabei refinery is expected to be able to produce 5.81 million metric tons per year of gasoil, 2.22 million metric tons per year of gasoline, and 1.5 million metric tons per year of other refined products, Xinhua reported earlier. (January 6, 2010)