2010-07-05 14:09

PetroChina Co, the nation's largest oil and gas producer, plans to build gasoline and diesel hydrotreaters at its Lanzhou refinery in northwestern China to produce cleaner fuels.

The company is conducting "preliminary work" on the projects, China National Petroleum Corp, said in its online newsletter today. The gasoline unit will have an annual capacity of 1.8 million metric tons, or about 42,000 barrels a day, and the diesel unit 3 million tons, the company's parent said.

The Lanzhou hydrotreaters will produce fuel that can meet China III standards, which is similar to Euro III specifications adopted by the European Union, CNPC said.

The Lanzhou refinery in Gansu province can process 10.5 million tons of crude oil a year.

CNPC expects to complete the expansion of its Qingyang refinery in Gansu this year, the Beijing-based company said in a separate statement today, without giving further details.