OMAN: Sohar refinery, polypropylene plant to undergo major planned turnaround

Oman’s Sohar refinery and polypropylene plant will undergo a major planned turnaround or maintenance activity for two months from 23 February and 23 April 2016. This is in line with the state-owned Oman Oil Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company’s (Orpic) key mission to ensure that its operations run safely and smoothly at all times. These plants are owned by Orpic. “This shutdown will be used to execute a number of maintenance activities in order to improve the operational performance of Orpic’s plants,” said a press release.

A large turnaround is being undertaken every three years. This time the scope will be larger as Orpic wants to make modifications to the existing plant to allow a full integration of the new units, being constructed under the Sohar Refinery Improvement Project, which is due for commissioning later in the year.

Explaining the complexity of the shutdown, an Orpic representative said, “We analyzed and reviewed the need for this turnaround. A detailed work list was created and every Orpic employee has been assigned with specific tasks. This turnaround will witness a large revamp of the Residue Catalytic Cracker unit, which is the core of the existing refinery. However, we would like to reiterate that there will be no disruption to the nation’s supply for fuel.”

Orpic is one of Oman’s largest companies and one of the most rapidly growing businesses in the Middle East oil industry. Orpic’s Refineries in Sohar and Muscat, as well as the Aromatics and Polypropylene Plants in Sohar, provide fuel, chemicals, plastics, and other petroleum products, to Oman and to the world.

Source: Daily “The Times of Oman”, Muscat; 22 Feb 2016
(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)