CH2M HILL Wins Montana Refining FEED Contract

Seattle, WA - CH2M HILL, a global engineering and construction contractor, has been awarded a contract with Connacher Oil and Gas Limited's Montana Refining Company Inc., to provide Front-end Engineering and Design (FEED) for potential upgrades to the refinery.

This will add up to 25,000 barrels per day of increased throughput as well as a conversion to clean fuels (gasoline, diesel and jet fuel), which will take place through the installation of a new Hydrocracker and other new processing facilities.

Rich in history, the Montana Refinery was constructed in the early 1900's and has been producing fuels and asphalt for Great Falls, Mont. and surrounding geographic markets ever since. In 2006 the refinery was purchased by Connacher Oil and Gas, a Canadian oil and gas company, whose principal business is the development of oil sands in Northern Alberta.

In a previous undertaking for Connacher, CH2M HILL and other partners completed the conceptual phase of a project to increase throughput and improve operating efficiency while operating on heavier, sour Canadian Crude similar to Connacher's own production.

Connacher has already undertaken significant environmental investment at the refinery to reduce air emissions and enhance sulfur recovery and water treating. Through the proposed expansion and upgrade, the refinery is expected to further improve its environmental performance. Nearly all of the sulfur in the crude feed to the refinery will be removed and converted to elemental sulfur, which will greatly reduce sulfur contained in the various products. Other improvements include the installation of new furnaces and a flare recovery system designed to optimize refinery operations and further reduce emissions.

SOURCE: Tessa Anderson, CH2M HILL