Construction at Nghi Son oil refinery begins

An international consortium recently started construction at the Nghi Son oil refinery and petrochemical complex in Thanh Hoa province, Vietnam. Kuwait Petroleum International (KPI), Japanese companies Idemitsu Kosan Co. and Mitsui Chemical Inc. and state-run oil company Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) together have invested a total of US$6.1 billion in the complex, which covers 325 hectares at Nghi Son Economic Zone in Tinh Gia district, some 200 kilometers south of Hanoi. The complex is expected to have a designed capacity of 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) or 10 million tons per year. Vietnam will import crude oil from Kuwait, which will be processed into 2.1 million tons of gasoline, 2.67 million tons of diesel fuel, 790,000 tons of kerosene and jet fuel and 500,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) by late 2012 or early 2013. It is expected to supply 60% of Vietnam’s petroleum demand, supplementing the output of Dung Quat refinery. (April 28, 2009)