News & Information

August 10, 2001 Houston, Texas USA

Contact:  Trans-Global Solutions, Inc.
               Jim Hartley - 713 466 0426

 Trans-Global Solutions Begins
Operations at Premcor Refinery

Trans-Global Solutions, Inc.(TGS) has commissioned a new petroleum coke handling, storage and vessel loading system at the Premcor Refining facility in Port Arthur, Texas (Premcor). The system was designed, manufactured, and erected by TGS. TGS owns and operates the system under a long-term agreement with Premcor. In addition to operating the coke handling system, TGS is operating the overhead gantry cranes used to transfer the product to the TGS system as well as performing the cutting, heading and deheading activities at the 80,000 bbl per day Premcor delayed coker unit.

The system originates at the delayed coking unit. A feeder draws petcoke from a hopper located adjacent to the petroleum coke pit. The petcoke is crushed to reduce any oversized product. The petcoke is then transported by a 42" conveyor to the stockpile area 1,700 feet away at a nominal rate of 500 stph. At the stockpile area the petroleum coke is transferred to a 160' radial stacker allowing direct stacking to a height of 50 feet.

While in the stockpile the petroleum coke is handled by Caterpillar D-9 bulldozers that are used to push out the product into storage. Petroleum coke reclaim is performed by the bulldozers pushing the product into twin dozer traps that feed the belt conveyor system utilized in transporting the product to the twin shiploaders.

The petroleum coke is drawn from the twin dozer traps by two 72" wide belt conveyors and transported to a 60" belt conveyor system that feeds the twin shiploader towers approximately 2500 feet from the stockpile. The conveyor connecting the stockpile area to the shiploaders has a nominal capacity of 3000 stph.

TGS designed the shiploaders to operate at an existing vessel berth within the 100-year old refinery. The twin shiploaders are located 90 feet back from the dock face to clear all pre-existing dock equipment and liquid product piping. The shiploaders have horizontally, telescoping booms allowing variable reach from 110 to 206 feet. The shiploader booms slew through a wide arc allowing the loaders to load a typical Panamax class bulk vessel. This increases the loading efficiency and reduces the time for the vessel in port.

The shiploaders are further equipped with telescopic chutes and trimmers that provide the ability to load and trim hatches of Panamax class vessels. Normal operations utilize one shiploader at a time with the second shiploader positioned at the next hatch in the loading sequence. Both shiploaders are operated using wireless remote controls that are operated from the deck of the vessel. In addition to loading Panamax class vessels the system also accommodates ocean barges and river barges, as well as Handy-sized vessels.

The completion of the petroleum coke handling and shiploading facility at the Premcor Refining Group facility marks the third major bulk storage and handling facility TGS has completed within the last year. The other facilities include the petroleum coke handling, storage and rail-loading facility for Phillips/PDVSA at the new delayed coking unit located within the Phillips refinery in Sweeny, Texas. TGS also completed a petroleum coke and coal receiving and storage facility for CEMEX, SA de CV, TEG Energia Division in Cadereyta, N.L., Mexico, servicing the PEMEX refinery located nearby as well as providing coal storage for CEMEX.

In addition to its other bulk product handling activities, TGS continues to expand its presence in the U.S. Gulf Coast petroleum coke handling market and expects to handle in excess of 7,000,000 tons of petroleum coke in 2002 through its four gulf coast terminals. At this time, a major project is nearing completion at the Exxon/Mobil refinery in Baytown, Texas, and TGS is completing final engineering for the previously announced TGS/Deepwater Bulk Terminal on the Houston ship channel. Fabrication and civil works for the new TGS Deepwater Bulk Terminal should begin in the near future.

More information about this project and other TGS projects and operations can be found at the company's website: www.tgsgroup.com