Oil and Gas

Location

Saint John, New Brunswick

Owner

Irving Oil Limited

Contractor

V.K. Mason Construction Co.

Value

$1 billion

Completion

Fall 2000

When the owners of Canada's largest oil refinery embarked on a $1 billion expansion program in the summer of 1998, they turned to V.K. Mason Construction Co., a subsidiary of Kiewit Corporation, to construct the world's largest residue fluid catalytic cracking unit (RFCCU), nicknamed the "King of Cats." The two-year program also involved numerous upgrades and the addition of seven conventional refinery process units to the existing 250,000-barrel-per-day facility.

The RFCCU, which has a capacity of 70,000 barrels per day, converts vacuum gas oils and low sulfur residues into fuel gas, propane, propylene, butane, butylenes, gasoline, diesel and decant oil. As part of the unit's construction, crews installed 43,000 meters of above-ground piping, 29,000 meters of steam tracing, and more than 100 large pieces of mechanical equipment.

The expansion increased the refinery's efficiency and flexibility in converting low-volume heavy fuels to higher value transportation fuels like gasoline and diesel. Working within tight quarters above ground, the team completed this fast-track project in the fall of 2000 on-time and under budget.