ICA Fluor secures $1bn contract for Madero refinery in Mexico

Mexico-based Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) has awarded a $1bn contract to Fluor’s unit ICA Fluor for construction of a hydrodesulfurisation (HDS) plant at the Francisco I. Madero refinery in Tamaulipas.

ICA Fluor will proceed with the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant as part of the second phase of Mexico’s Madero Clean Diesel project at the 190,000-b/d refinery.

Under the contract, the company will also provide commissioning and start-up services for two hydrodesulfurization trains with 25,000-barrel-per-day diesel capacity as well as associated facilities.

New hydrogen, sulfur recovery and sour water treatment plants will be installed as part of the project in addition to renovating the existing diesel hydrodesulfurisation unit, and offsites and utilities in order to integrate the new production facility with the existing refinery.

The project, which is part of Pemex’s clean fuels programme, is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2018.

It has been designed to increase the country’s production of ultra-low sulfur diesel in accordance with environmental standards.

Fluor chief operating officer Peter Oosterveer said: "We are very pleased with the performance of ICA Fluor, and this award by Pemex demonstrates the trust and confidence in our joint venture to successfully execute this very significant clean fuels project at the Madero refinery.

"Fluor and ICA Fluor remain fully committed to Pemex and our other clients in the Mexican market."