Refinery Recoups Projected Costs Before Project Completion

A South American refinery was facing production losses and difficulty meeting local gasoline demand. This was due to outdated equipment, decreased safety, and a lack of effective operational capabilities. The refinery needed a major overhaul. The operator approached KBC for help to guide them through this major transformation project to modernize the facility and implement industry best practices.

The Challenge

KBC consultants prepared a roadmap using a holistic approach. The solution consisted of five major focus areas: profit improvement, workforce capability, business process improvement, organizational restructuring, and change management.

Solution

KBC consultants found over USD 250 million/year in potential economic improvements. Using Petro-SIM^® software to build a digital twin of the refinery, they evaluated the overall impact of proposed process improvements. Thedigital twin also allowed the local process engineers to get acquainted with optimizing the unit’s operation and driving profit improvement activities.

The Results

The refinery obtained more than USD 160 million in savings by implementing a selection of the opportunities, KBC identified. In less than four years and before project completion, the refinery received a complete return on the investment on the projected project cost.