Esmeraldas refinery will be paralyzed since October

The Esmeraldas refinery will be paralyzed from October 1 to take on its stage of rehabilitation, which has been steadily decreasing its processing capacity. Since 2008 Petroecuador has worked to repower the plant by signing a contract with the SK Korea firm.

The Refining Manager of Petroecuador, Carlos Pareja Yanuzzelli, said that the electrical system, pump and furnaces system will be changed. Furthermore, the assembly of the reactor and regenerator of catalytic cracking unit will be done.

Pareja said that after the equipments of the FCC are assembled other installations will be needed, so that the unit will be paralyzed for a total of 10 months.

During that time, the country must import LPG and high octane gasoline, which will cost between USD 300 million and 400 million.

Rehabilitation costs will also be around USD 980 million.

The plant would be ready by September of 2015.