AIMING to become a leader in the oil refining business, the Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) is now working on expanding its activities in the downstream sector.
It is also exerting all possible efforts to face the challenges of the 21st century in a rapidly-changing market.
Besides meeting growing demand for enhanced products and services, the company is playing a positive role in advancing the local economy and boosting the national income. In fact, Takreer is now in the process of implementing a series of new and ongoing investments that will help the company realise its goals for the future.
Takreer is responsible for developing the refining industry, which started with the establishment of Abu Dhabi refinery in 1976 and Ruwais refinery in 1982. The company is also in charge of implementing national strategies aimed at enhancing the role of downstream industries in the local economy.
It was established in 1999 as a public joint-stock company to take over the responsibility of refining operations previously undertaken by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc). The company’s areas of operation include the refining of crude oil and condensate, supply of petroleum products and production of granulated sulphur in compliance with domestic and international specifications.
The company’s objectives for the new millennium include the task of fulfilling national aspirations for quality assurance and environmental protection. It is also keen on implementing national policies aimed at providing employment opportunities for the national workforce. To achieve that, Takreer has designed a number of special development programmes for UAE nationals to provide them with the necessary skills to join the workforce
Meanwhile, Takreer conducts high standard and efficient refining operations consistent with sound health, safety and environmental practices. Its activities are based on total quality management principles, in a customer and employee oriented environment. Its aim is to provide reliable, quality products that satisfy the requirements and needs of its customers and partners.
Takreer maintains high standards and efficient refining operations consistent with sound, health, safety and environmental practices. Its activities are based on total quality management principles, in a customer and employee-oriented environment.
The company bases its performance on the knowledge, skills and expertise of its employees. It invests heavily in personnel training and devotes considerable resources to the development of its national cadres. Its aim is to provide reliable, quality products that satisfy the requirements and needs of its customers and partners.
In addition, the company will continue to actively pursue its role towards greater achievements for the benefit of the country and its people. It will exert all possible efforts to seize today’s opportunities and meet tomorrow’s challenges. These efforts will result in adding substantial increases to Abu Dhabi’s refining business.
Ensuring safety and protection of environment in all its operations are Takreer’s guiding principles. Such principles reflect the company’s dedication towards the community and the society in general. Thus, the company is committed to achieve and maintain the highest standards in health, safety and environment (HSE). Adopting and implementing best practices in HSE will, therefore, become an integral part of the company operations and enhance the company culture. Takreer’s success in the energy and chemical industry makes it possible for it to contribute to the nation’s well-being by enhancing government revenue, creating more jobs for the country’s workforce, and supporting development programmes for UAE nationals.
Takreer takes pride not only in its products and services, but also in the way it conducts its operations. The company’s principles and values are embodied in the “Takreer way”, which provides an integrated framework for its strategies and goals.
For more than two decades, its refineries have provided products to meet society’s expanding energy needs. As one of the leading oil refining companies in the Gulf region, it is sensitive to the diversity of social and business cultures. In conjunction with these efforts, Takreer recognises the need to explore, produce, transport, and manufacture energy products in an environmentally responsible manner, with the highest regard for the safety and health of its workforce and of the communities in which we operate.
The Ruwais and Abu Dhabi refineries constitute Takreer’s core business. They are referred to as the Takreer’s business lines. They produce over 23 million tonnes per year of products for the local and export markets.
Following the discovery of oil in Abu Dhabi in 1958, and the first export shipments of crude in 1962, plans were drawn up for a grass root refinery with a capacity of 15,000 barrels per stream day (bpsd) to meet a growing local need for petroleum products. Construction work on the project began in 1973 and the refinery, costing an initial $45 million, was inaugurated in April 1976.
So rapid was the growth in demand for oil products, however, that work began almost immediately on installing a new refinery to process a further 60,000 bpsd and this was commissioned in 1983.
Requirements continued to grow in the fast-developing emirate, and Adnoc decided to expand capacity yet again, with environmental considerations in mind, to include additional units for gas oil desulphurisation and sulphur recovery. The expanded refinery started up in December 1992 with a rated capacity of 85,000 bpsd.
A salt and chlorine plant, commissioned at Umm Al Nar in 1981, was merged in 1990 with the refinery to form the Abu Dhabi refinery and chlorine division.
Subsequently it was permanently shutdown on November 30, 2001. Two power plants, owned and operated by Umm Al Nar Power Company, and a lube oil blending/filling plant, owned and operated by Adnoc Distribution, are located adjacent to the refinery.
Located some 240 km west of Abu Dhabi City, the Ruwais Industrial Complex was developed as a major contributor to the national economy and represents a series of multi-million dollar investments.
The Ruwais story began in the 1970s, when plans were laid to transform a remote desert site into a self-contained industrial town, geared to fulfilling the down stream requirements of Abu Dhabi’s booming oil and gas industry.
Soon after commissioning the original 120,000 barrels per day (bpd) Hydro skimming refinery in June 1981, plans were drawn up to add a 27,000 bpd hydrocracker complex that was started in 1985. To consolidate operations, the general utilities plant, set up in 1982 to provide electricity and water for the area, was merged with the refinery in 1986.
In support of the company’s HSE policy, a central sulphur handling and granulation plant was established in 1991 to handle all the liquid sulphur recovered in the Gasco and Adgas natural gas liquefaction facilities. Its operations were also integrated with the Ruwais refinery division in 1992. After its expansion in early 2001, the granulation capacity, at 7,650 tonnes per day, has become one of the largest in the world.
Two 140,000 bpd condensate processing trains were commissioned in year 2000-2002 to process condensate produced in the on-shore gas fields of Abu Dhabi. Currently these are two of the largest such condensate splitters in the world. Meanwhile, support facilities such as berths, power generation and water production facilities continued to be expanded to meet the growing needs of the industrial area.
The original hydro skimming complex was designed to process 120,000 bpd of crude oil, mainly for the export market. Growth in demand for Abu Dhabi’s high quality refined products spurred the continuous expansions at Ruwais. Today the range of refined products includes liquefied petroleum gas, premium unleaded gasoline (98 octane), special unleaded gasoline (95 octane), naphtha grades, jet-A1 and kerosene grades, gas oil grades, straight run residue, bunker grades 180 and 380 cst and granulated sulphur.
The Abu Dhabi refinery is a hydro skimming complex designed to process Bab crude as well as a mixture of Asab-Sahil, Shah and Thammama condensate.
As a first step, prior to the actual distillation process, crude oil is passed through a desalter unit to remove the undesirable salts, water and sludge which are generally associated with any type of crude. After final heating in a furnace, the crude is then fractionated in the atmospheric distillation column into the basic raw petroleum fractions of naphtha, kerosene, gas oil and straight run residue.
The naphtha hydrodesulphuriser sweetens the straight run naphtha from the crude unit. Three products are produced in this unit namely, heavy naphtha, light naphtha and sour liquefied petroleum gases.
The refinery receives power and fresh water supplies from the adjacent plant of the Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority. Steam, air, nitrogen and sea water for cooling are all provided by the refinery’s own facilities. The refinery’s fuel gas supply is supplemented by natural gas from the Gasco main network.
Storage capacity of Abu Dhabi refinery tank farm is 500,000 cu m, which includes facilities for crude oil, intermediate streams, semi-finished products, finished products and utility fuel oil. Most of the refined products from Abu Dhabi refinery are sold in the ever expanding domestic market, while the residue and naphtha are shipped to Ruwais refinery.
The refinery is served by a two-berth marine terminal on the North shore of the island for loading and unloading of tankers. Maximum draft is 9.5 m; maximum cargo is 30,000 tonnes.
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