Sinopec starts up Qingdao refinery

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) began commercial operations at its new 10 million metric ton per year (mpty) or 201,370 barrel per day (bpd) refinery in east China’s Shandong province on May 24. The official launch of the Sinopec Qingdao Refining and Chemical (SQRC) Company refinery followed a two-month-long trial run that started March 28, a SQRC official said. The 12.5 billion yuan (US$1.81 billion) greenfield project in Shandong’s coastal Qingdao city consists of 14 key refining units, including a 1 million mtpy continuous reformer; a 3.5 million mtpy hydrocracker; a 4 million mtpy hydrorefining unit for kerosene and gasoil; and, a 2.6 million mtpy residual oil hydrotreater. The refinery is designed to produce up to 2.28 million mtpy of gasoline; 526,200 mtpy of kerosene; 3.94 million mtpy of gasoil; 568,800 mtpy of LPG; 411,500 mtpy of naphtha; 433,900 mtpy of high-sulfur coke, as well as other downstream petrochemicals. Most of SQRC’s products will be supplied to Shandong and neighboring provinces such as Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu. Sinopec Corporation owns an 85% stake in the refinery. (May 30, 2008)