Petroperu Chairman Carlos Paredes affirmed the State-run firm's priority will be to start operations at the New Talara Refinery during the first quarter of 2021 in order to increase its production to 95,000 barrels per day (bpd).
"The (current) refinery in Talara, which started operating over a hundred years ago, produces with a high content of sulfur, but requires additional investments to meet the environmental regulations," he expressed.
Likewise, he said the refinery produces at a rate of 55,000 bpd for the moment, although its nominal capacity is 65,000 bpd.
As for the arguments against the refinery modernization, due to the fact Peru has limited volumes of crude to supply it, Paredes replied that a country does not need to produce such fuel to have a refinery, because what actually matters is the existence of a demand for final products.
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The new refinery is more complex than the previous one. We have cutting-edge technology for deep conversion refining and to get the most out of crude, mainly heavy crude from our rainforest," Paredes stated.
"It guarantees clean fuels and contributes to the health and environment of the areas where such fuels are used," he added.
Investment
He estimates the new refinery will cost about US$4.7 billion, considering the contingency of any infrastructure project and the costs caused by the delay in the assignment of auxiliary units.
(END) RGP/RMB/MVB
Published: 5/29/2019