Wood to strengthen energy security through PRL Refinery Expansion and Upgrade Project

Wood has secured a new multi-million-dollar front-end engineering design (FEED) contract by Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) for its planned Refinery Expansion and Upgrade Project (REUP) in Karachi.

PRL’s refinery, situated on the coastal belt of Karachi, is designed to process various imported and local crude oil. It is one of the principal manufacturers and suppliers of petroleum products to domestic markets.

As part of the REUP project, PRL aims to increase its crude processing capacity to 100,000 bpd by adding an additional 50,000 bpd crude unit and associated processing facility to its existing refinery. The project seeks to upgrade the hydroskimming refinery to a deep conversion facility which will significantly reduce the production of high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) and produce environmentally friendly Euro-V compliant premium products such as High-Speed Diesel (HSD) and Motor Spirit (MS/Petrol). The upgraded complex will also produce propylene, a valuable feedstock for petrochemicals.

Having completed the early study and Pre-FEED work in 2021, this new award extends Wood’s involvement in PRL’s REUP project. ”We are delighted to have secured this new contract with PRL which demonstrates the strength of our decades long relationship with the client and their confidence in our extensive refining expertise” said Giuseppe Zuccaro, President of Process & Chemicals at Wood. “The REUP project plays an important role in Pakistan’s energy landscape and is a significant addition to Wood’s Process & Chemicals portfolio. We are committed to delivering a world-class FEED, and ready to support PRL in the subsequent phases of this strategic investment.”

The strategic project, with a total installed cost of over $1 billion dollars, serves a critical role in meeting the increasing energy needs of Pakistan's domestic market. The FEED component of the project, which is expected to be completed in August 2023, is being led by Wood’s Reading office in the UK with specialist support from its Salt Lake City office in the US.