Sinopec starts up new 160,000 bpd unit at Qilu refinery

Sinopec’s Qilu refinery in eastern China’s Zibo city, Shandong province, started up its new 8 million metric ton per year (MTPY) crude distillation unit (CDU), China Petrochemical News, the official news website run by the Sinopec Group, reported. The CDU replaces a 3.5 million MTPY CDU, which was idled when the new one was launched. With two existing operational CDUs, which have a total nameplate capacity of 7 million MTPY, Sinopec Qilu’s current nameplate capacity is 15 million MTPY, a source close to the refinery said. The Qilu refinery mainly processes crude oil produced from the nearby Shengli oilfield and high-sulfur imported crude from the Middle East. (April 7, 2010)