Petrobras plans to build a base oil plant with 6,800 barrels per day API Group II capacity, expected to stream in 2016, at its Comperj refinery in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The state-owned oil company detailed the plans and capacity during an Aug. 17 press conference. Petrobras currently has to import Group II base oil because Brazil has no Group II production. Through the first seven months of 2011, all companies imported more than 274,000 metric tons of base oils into Brazil, according to the nations Ministry for Development, Industry and Trade.
Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras now has about 12,800 b/d Group I nameplate capacity between two plants: Duque de Caxias base oil refinery, or Reduc, in Rio de Janeiro; and Landulpho Alves de Mataripe refinery, known as Rlam, in Salvador. In addition, the companys Lubrificantes e Derivados do Petroleo do Nordeste, or Lubnor, produces 1,290 b/d of naphthenic base oils in Fortaleza, in northeast Brazil.
The output of the Comperj Group II base oil plant would be available for all of the companys clients, Petrobras confirmed to Lube Report. Petrobras Distribuidora, a subsidiary and client, operates a blending plant in Duque de Caxias near the Reduc refinery and plans to debottleneck its facilities, the company noted.
In its presentation, Petrobras pointed out that Group II base oil favors the development of automotive lubricants that contribute to fuel economy and to lower emissions. A key factor is meeting original equipment manufacturer requirements that cant be met via Group I base oil. In 2012, there will be diesel engines that require API CJ-4 in Brazil, for example.
The Comperj refinery is under construction and is expected to come on stream in 2013. According to Petrobras 2020 strategic plan presentation, the Comperj main refinery is expected to start up in two phases in 2013 and 2018, each having 165,000 b/d crude oil capacity. Petrobras did not indicate a start date for construction to begin on the base oil plant.
By the end of 2011, Brazils Lwart Lubrificantes plans to open a base oil rerefinery with 1,300 b/d Group II capacity, which will be the countrys first Group II plant.