Sinopec Maoming starts operation of new CDU

Sinopec, which owns Maoming Petrochemical Co., has started commercial production at its new crude oil distillation unit (CDU) at the Maoming refinery in Guagdong province, south of China, with a 10-million metric ton per year (mt/y) capacity or 200,822 barrels per day (bpd). In addition to its present capacity of 13.5 million mt/year, Maoming’s total capacity would exceed 20 million mt/year, making it comparable to the company’s two large-scale refineries in Zhenhai Refining and Chemical, and Dalian Petrochemical. Output from the new CDU will meet Euro 3 and Euro 4 specifications. Sinopec said that this expansion will improve the efficiency of the refinery, as well as help correct the supply-demand imbalances of light chemical oil and other oil products in Guangdong. (December 6, 2012)