Petroleum refining research systems for SINOPEC
When SINOPEC made a decision to acquire 17 state-of-the-art pilot plants for its Research Institute of Petroleum Processing (RIPP) laboratories in Beijing and Fushun, it engaged Fluor Corporation to identify the “best” source for this equipment and manage all aspects of this procurement. Fluor in turn awarded the entire contract to our company under the leadership of Serge and Ravi Randhava.
The 17-system order included ten hydrotreaters, six reformers and one 4-reactor adiabatic reforming pilot plant. Some noteworthy aspects of this project are recalled below:
- All 17 pilot plants were engineered and constructed in a highly modular fashion. In fact, the term “modular technology” was added shortly thereafter to the lexicon of the pilot plant industry.
- Each pilot plant included its own decentralized process control system.
- RIPP scientists, engineers and technicians worked with us from start to finish, and this eventually facilitated the easy and trouble-free start-up of the systems in Beijing and Fushun.
- Dr. Karl Stork, Director of Technology at Bechtel Corporation happened to visit RIPP in Beijing, he saw the systems we had designed and built, and the rest was history – Dr. Dennis McCullough and Grant Shields spearheaded the formation of Xytel-Bechtel, Inc.
Engagement: C, B, D, O. Status – completed.