Ultramar Refinery Expansion

Fluor performed engineering, procurement, and construction management services for Ultramar's refinery expansion in St. Romuald, Quebec, Canada.

Fluor used innovative contracting and fabrication techniques to meet Ultramar's fast-track schedule.

Fluor also managed the transportation and erection of one of the largest pressure vessels ever shop-fabricated in Canada at the time.

Client's Challenge

Ultramar Ltd in Canada wanted to increase the 100,000 barrel-per-day gasoline manufacturing capacity at its refinery in Quebec.

The expansion would include a fluid catalytic cracking unit, cat fractionator, light ends fractionation and gas treating, sulfur recovery, catalytic polymerization, and product treating.

Fabricated pressure vessel in transit to site

Fluor's Solution

Fluor was contracted to perform engineering, procurement, and construction management on the refinery expansion. Fluor's process engineering scope covered the full range of activities from conceptual design to start-up assistance, including process design of the fractionator, light ends, and other facilities.

Several significant features were part of the refinery expansion.

For example, the project's regenerator is one of the largest shop-fabricated regenerators ever constructed. Shop fabrication in Canada of both the reactor and the regenerator saved time and costs. In addition, Fluor managed the activities of more than 40 local contractors in the execution of the project.

Fluor took several important steps to achieve Ultramar's scheduling objectives. Fluor's engineering approach was specifically adapted to require each contractor's schedule to meet Ultramar's completion schedule. Extra effort was made to ensure the on-time delivery of materials. Fluor's procurement guidelines called for maximum use of eastern Canadian suppliers located close to the Ultramar refinery.

The project had one of the largest pressure vessels ever fabricated in Canada at the time. Fluor not only managed the fabrication of the regenerator, but also the transportation of the vessel to the site. The vessel traveled 16 hours on a specially fitted barge down the St Lawrence River, then another eight hours by road to the refinery.

Local residents gathered along the transport route to view the vessel. One Fluor rigging engineer observed that the people were quite amazed at the size of the vessel.

Refinery expansion construction in progress

Conclusion

Fluor understood Ultramar's requirement to start up the refinery expansion on schedule. To meet the schedule, Fluor contracted with local contractors, suppliers, and fabricators to the maximum use possible.

Because of these efforts and others, Fluor completed the expansion under budget and three months ahead of schedule.

Fluor was retained by Ultramar for a follow-on refinery sophistication project to increase the 100,000 b/d by an additional 30,000 b/d. Fluor was contracted to handle the engineering, procurement and construction management for a fluid catalytic cracking unit, cat fractionator, light ends fractionation and gas treating, sulphur recovery, catalytic polymerization and product treating. This project was also completed under budget and four months ahead of schedule.