Hyundai Oilbank to complete 1st RDS, RFCC units

Hyundai Oilbank Co. of South Korea said construction of the 66,000 barrel per day (bpd) residue desulfurization (RDS) unit and the 52,000 bpd residual fluid catalytic cracker (RFCC) unit at its Daesan refinery are expected to be completed in early March 2011. The RDS and RFCC, which converts heavy to light products, are the first to be built by the refinery. Trial operations of these facilities will start in early June, so that it will be able to launch  commercial operations in mid-July. Hyundai Oilbank expects to start exporting 10 parts per million (ppm) sulfur diesel fuel thereafter. Hyundai currently exports between two and three MR-sized cargoes of 0.5% sulfur gasoil every month, which mainly ends up in the Hong Kong fishing market. From next year, Hyundai will likely increase its exports to between three and four MR-sized cargoes, with the majority being 10 ppm sulfur gasoil. (October 22, 2010)