[Eric in the Ozarks]

Those must be the older plants.

When the switch was made at Pine Bend, it took about 15 seconds to decide to make 100 percent low sulfur.

[thackney]

When the switch was made at Pine Bend, it took about 15 seconds to decide to make 100 percent low sulfur.

That sounds bizarre. They had desulfurization capacity they were not using?

I suspect there was a couple years work prior to the switch from planing, buy and installing equipment.

[thackney]

In 2006, the refinery completed a $350 million project to produce ultra low-sulfur diesel fuels and convert diesel fuel to gasoline to meet growing market demand.

http://www.fhr.com/refining/minnesota.aspx

[thackney]

I found a little more detail.

One of the largest projects in refi nery history was completed in May when Pine Bend’s new hydrocracker unit was brought online. This $350 million project includes the new hydrocracker, new hydrogen plant, storage tanks and expanded cooling water capacity. The project was built so that the refi nery can begin producing ultra low sulfur diesel fuel.

http://www.fhr.com/upload/PBCommmattersnl10-06.pdf
Page 2

Construction on the hydrocracker project began in May of 2004.
Here are some interesting facts from the two-year project:
• 1,600 tons of structural steel
• 22 miles of large piping
• 5,109 valves
• 4,548 gaskets
• 29,260 bolts
• 26,355 components
• 353,850 pounds of cracking catalyst
• 1.4 million work hours on fi eld construction
• Peak workforce of 780 contractors
• Two large reactors, each weighing
approximately 1.5 million pounds