HIGHLY ENGINEERED LIFT PLUG VALVES FOR DOS BOCAS REFINERY IN MEXICO

AMPO POYAM VALVES has supplied several severe service lift plug valves for Dos Bocas refinery, which is under-construction in Tabasco, Mexico. The refinery will have a processing capacity of 340,000 barrels per day (bpd) and will produce 170,000 bpd of gasoline and 120,000 bpd of ultra-low sulphur diesel.

AMPO POYAM VALVES has designed, manufactured, and delivered up to 18” and 300 lbs non-lubricated metal to metal lift plug valves for the Coking unit of the refinery. Considering that the processing of heavy oil results in coke formation and deterioration of a valve operation if the proper valve is not chosen, AMPO POYAM lift plug valves have been specifically designed for this severe service conditions containing heavy crude feedstocks subject to high temperature and coke formation.

The EPC project for the Coking Unit is being carried out by ICA Fluor for the state-owned oil and gas company PEMEX, which will be the owner and operator of the refinery. The biggest refinery in Mexico.

In those severe service lift plug valves, the yoke and lift/turn mechanisms have been designed to allow maintenance works when the valve is inline, the guided design permits the valve to be installed vertically or horizontally and for high pressure differential and the integral plug-stem component makes a stronger and a more robust design avoiding hysteresis and misalignments. Moreover, a low operation torque is achieved, and no lubrication is required. And finally, there is a low steam consumption since flushing is required only during operations. With less flushing points than a ball valve, flushing system keeps seating surfaces clean and seats are protected from erosion in the open and closed position.

It has been the optimum performance of our severe service lift plug valves previously installed at the Coking unit of Tula Hidalgo refinery in Mexico which has made PEMEX and ICA FLUOR entrust again the award of this new contract to AMPO POYAM VALVES.

With the achievement of this new milestone, AMPO strengths its presence in the downstream industry and expects to continue collaborating hand in hand with PEMEX on the development of Mexico’s National Refining Plan.