Chevron Lummus Global wins refinery expansion contract in India

Chevron Lummus Global (CLG) has secured a technology contract from Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to expand its refinery in Numaligah, Golaghat in the Indian state of Assam.

The scope of the contract for CLG includes technology licence, basic engineering services, proprietary equipment and catalyst supply, training and technical services.

The NRL plant is expected to begin operations in 2025 and will use CLG’s LC-FINING technology with an integrated VGO hydrotreater to upgrade vacuum residue and clarified oil from existing and new units.

The combination of the two technologies is expected to support NRL in producing feedstock for petrochemicals with a low investment.

It also involves residue upgrade to make feed for high propylene FCC safely and reliably.

In a statement CLG said: “We value our customers’ confidence in our technology and take pride in helping them optimise product quality, yields, capital investment and operating costs.”

It is also the third licenced unit in the country to use the company’s LC-FINING platform, an ebullating bed residue hydrocracking technology which claims to offer high conversion of residues selectively to liquid products while removing metals, sulfur and CCR from difficult feedstocks.

The integrated design said to offer higher performance at lower cost, with proven safety and highly reliable track record.

Last March, CLG secured a contract from a Southeast Asian refiner for the licence, engineering, and supply of proprietary catalyst and equipment for its Lubricant Base Oil Group II Project, to be built in Southeast Asia.

The new unit with 5,200 barrels per day (BPD) will use CLG’s ISOTREATING, ISODEWAXING and ISOFINISHING technologies for premium lube-base oil production. While the refinery produces only Group I lube base oils, through the project, it can meet the growing regional demand for premium, Group II and Group III base oils.