Japanese refiner Fuji Oil Co plans to install a new 18,000 bpd fluid catalytic cracker at its 192,000 bpd Sodegaura refinery in early 2008 to boost production of high RON gasoline and middle distillates.

The move will effectively double the plant’s FCC capacity as it currently runs a sole 18,000 bpd FCC.
The propylene by-product capacity of the new FCC would be about 35,000 mt per year. FOC also plans to boost the capacity of its 24,000 bpd vacuum residue thermal cracker, a spokesman at FOC parent AOC Holdings said.
The company will invest 20 billion yen ($168 million) for the new FCC construction and 15 billion yen for the thermal cracker expansion over the next three years. Fuji Oil is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOC Holdings Inc, in which the Saudi Arabian government and Kuwait Petroleum Corp each hold a 7.9 per cent stake.