AESA (A-Evangelista S.A.) completed the construction of a new naphtha fractionation unit, the new storage plant and supplementary facilities in Luján de Cuyo Refinery for RepsolYPF.

The new Splitter II is the initial phase of a process to reduce sulfur content in a stream of heavy cracked naphtha (HCN) to 50 ppm sulfur content in total weight.

Splitter II can be fed from Splitter I bottom or from HN-V-002 stripper column bottom; the stream is separated in two cuts, allowing for obtaining overhead gasoline (LHCN, light HCN stream) with lower sulfur content; a heavier cut is thus produced at the column bottom (HHCN, heavy HCN stream) mostly concentrating the sulfur contained in the feed stream.

The vapors leaving the top of the Splitter II (HHCN) column are fully condensed by an aircooler and pumped to storage, after being water-cooled to approximately 35ºC through a shell and tube heat exchanger.

Splitter II (HHCN) bottom cut is pumped from the column to a cooling system, and later stored in TK-9001/2 tanks.

TK-B1 is worth mentioning as an outstanding part of the project, since it is used to storage a side cut from existing Splitter I. YP-115 A/B pumps take gasoline from TK-B1, pumping it to Blending stage.

Main equipment:

• One TK-B1 Tank for light naphtha , weight: 250 tons; capacity: 5000 m3
• One Splitter II HN-V-003 column
• One reboiler for Splitter II column
• One air condenser
• One aircooler
• Heat exchangers (one of them naphtha/naphtha and two water/naphtha)
• Naphtha condensate and drainage accumulators
• Seven pumps
• One 1500 Kva transformer plus related equipment

Main Magnitudes:

• Soil movement: 1,002 m3
• Reinforced concrete: 1,740 m3
• Metal structures: 140 tons
• Precast pipes: 12,169 Inches
• Pipes assembled at worksite: 10,907 Inches
• Cable laying: 34,909 meters
• Assembled instruments: 324 units
• Precommissioned and commissioned systems: 33