Sinopec expansion project gets NDRC approval

China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec) has received approval from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to expand a refining project in Maoming City, Guangdong Province, the company announced. The expansion will serve to increase the project’s annual oil product output capacity from the current 13.5 million tons to 25.5 million tons, the announcement said. As a result, the project will become the third in China to attain an annual output capacity of more than 20 million tons, after two projects owned by China National Petroleum Corp. in the provinces of Liaoning and Zhejiang. The plan calls for the construction of an atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit, a hydrocracking unit, a sulfur reclamation unit and an aromatics extraction unit. The expansion will improve handling capacity for high-sulfur crude oil, and increase the production of aviation fuel and high-quality diesel fuel, both of which are highly in demand in Guangdong Province. (September 4, 2008)