Petron inaugurates petrochemical feedstock units

MANILA, Philippines – Petron Corp. marks another first when it inaugurates the country’s first petrochemical feedstock facilities today (April 9) at its 180,000 barrel-per-day refinery in Limay, Bataan. The Petro Fluidized Catalytic Cracking (PetroFCC) unit and Propylene Recovery Unit (PRU) are part of the company’s Refinery Master Plan, which will enable it to further diversify into the petrochemical business and sustain its growth momentum.

The PetroFCC, the first “cracking” unit of its kind in the world, converts black products (fuel oil) into higher value LPG, gasoline, and diesel.

It also yields a higher level of the petrochemical feedstock propylene than typical FCC units. The PRU further purifies the propylene so that it can be used in making various petrochemical products for manufacturing everyday items such as food packaging, appliances, suitcases, furniture, DVDs and even car parts.

The PetroFCC has a conversion capacity of 19,000 barrels per day while the PRU will produce 140,000 metric tons of propylene annually.

“The inauguration of these facilities underpins our strategic transformation program which aims to broaden our markets and give us new high-value revenue streams. This is the first major step in our diversification into the petrochemicals business and signals a shift in our growth strategy,” Petron president Kamal M. Al-Yahya said.