Modernizing Whiting Refinery
About the project
- BP is investing billions of dollars in Northwest Indiana to modernize the Whiting Refinery to process the growing supply of Canadian crude oil.
- The Whiting Refinery Modernization Project is essential to the long-term viability of the refinery.
- The Whiting Refinery Modernization Project is helping to sustain approximately 1700 employees here in Northwest Indiana over the long-term. The project is also contributing thousands of temporary contractor jobs to the community. This is the biggest private sector investment in Indiana history.
- In addition to jobs, the project is generating indirect benefits for local Indiana businesses and contributing significantly to the tax base of local, state and federal governments to fund schools, environmental protection and many other essential government services.
Status of the Whiting Refinery Modernization Project
- BP management is pleased with the safe and steady progress being made on the Whiting Refinery Modernization Project. Construction began at the refinery in May of 2008 after necessary permits were issued. The modernization is about one-third complete, including engineering, procurement and construction activities.
- We continue constructing underground infrastructure, and have begun above ground facility installation to support a new:
- Gas oil hydrotreater: a modern hydrotreater will remove more sulfur and nitrogen from gas oil.
- Sulfur recovery complex: we are enhancing our existing sulfur recovery capabilities to create a more efficient system that will remove more sulfur from our fuels product streams.
- Petroleum coker: we are building a new state-of-the-art coker to replace the existing one. The new coker will enhance process safety through increased automation, increase petroleum coke production, and produce more naphtha.
- Distillation Unit: we we are reconfiguring the refinery’s largest crude distillation unit to process heavier crudes, helping to replace some of the light sweet crude that is becoming more difficult to source.
- Infrastructure and demolition work continues to make room for new units.
- Large equipment has begun arriving at the facility. The coke drums, vacuum tower and main fractionator have been delivered to the site. Gas oil hydrotreater reactors are on their way.
- The BP Whiting Refinery has finished constructing a 54-acre barge unloading facility along the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal in East Chicago. The refinery has started receiving major equipment at the site.
- BP constructed a 47-acre contractor trailer complex and parking facilities at 129th Street and Dickey Place on the Southeast side of the refinery. This facility is now being occupied.
- The Whiting Refinery Modernization Project’s detailed engineering activity is more than 80 percent complete, and will continue to finalize the design of all units. The majority of the new equipment has been ordered and is being fabricated. Once the detailed engineering is complete, the construction and module fabrication activities will significantly increase.
- We are constructing pipe racks to accommodate above-ground pipelines. Some of the pipe rack modules have already been received with more in route.
