Here is an update on Billings Coke Drum Replacements in 2012. The $500MM 2007 project to replace Crude Units and upgrade coker to expand Heavy Crude was postphoned but $48MM Coke Drum replacement portion of project went ahead on slightly delayed schedule due weather, road problems and of course environmentalist.
COP’s 58MBD Billings Refinery added new $150MM, 2drum (24ft Diam.), COP Tech coker in 1992.
New Coke Drums will be replaced 1Q2012 after having arrived in Billings from Kobe Japan to US: Seattle (July) via 2 Megaloads “Odyssey” to Billings (Oct) in 2011. It has been estimated that the new drums (same size @22-24ft Diam.) could allow a Refinery +10MBD increase in crude charge to 71MBD and coker to 21-24MBD thru crude slate, cycle and operating chages.
Although the article mentions a 30 year life -most coke drums seldom meet this expectation because they never run at 24 hr cycle design conditions and instead run at industry operating conditions of 9-16 hr cycles (current Billings 22ftDia X66 ftTT CBI 1989 drums online in 1992 did run to their expected 20 year life cycle).
Here is hoping that COP doesn’t have problems with the giant crane that has plagued other refinery projects (Crane industry doesn’t require license or impose standards on operators – see prior news /coking.com post on this safety item & also 2011 on Billings Coke Drums/Expansion Project).