The 0.65 MMTPA Coker Heavy Gas Oil Hydro Treating Unit (CHTU), a secondary processing facility of the Phase III Upgradation and Refinery Expansion Project of MRPL (Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited, an ONGC Group Company and a Schedule A, mini ratna) went on stream on May 12, 2014.

CHTU is the first unit in MRPL to be commissioned and operated by Lady Operators, on round the clock shift basis.

The VGO (Vacuum Gas Oil) feed cut in was done on May 10, 2014 at 17.00 hrs and the product hydro treated VGO was routed out on May 11, 2014 at 08.00 hrs to PFCCU (Petroleum Fluidized Catalytic Convertor Unit) feed tank. The pre-commissioning / commissioning activities of PFCCU, that is part of MRPL Phase III, is progressing rapidly.

Women at Work: CHTU is the first unit in MRPL to be commissioned and operated by Lady Operators on round the clock shift basis

CHT Unit is designed to treat Coker Heavy Gas Oil (HCGO) and VGO to produce low sulphur (<250pppmw), low nitrogen (<450 pppmw) hydrotreated HCGO /VGO stream which is used as feed for downstream PFCCU. Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel and Naphtha are also produced which are routed to respective product pools.

The CHT Unit has been built with an investment of about Rs. 443 crore with technology supplied by UOP and executed by M/s Technimont ICB India Ltd.

A panoramic view of CHT Unit - a secondary processing facility of the Phase III Upgradation and Refinery Expansion Project of MRPL

The HCGO /VGO contain various contaminants including organic sulphur, nitrogen, and metal compounds. CHTU uses the “UOP Unionfining” process to remove these contaminants that are toxic to the catalysts in downstream units. UOP Unionfining is a proprietary, fixed bed, catalytic process for hydrotreating a wide range of feedstocks including HCGO.