CHS桂冠炼油厂的周转时间

麦克弗森的两家CHS炼油厂, 堪萨斯和劳雷尔, 蒙大拿州将原油转化为汽油, diesel and other energy products for our customers and farmer-owners. These refineries are intricate facilities that require a highly specialized team to keep daily operations running correctly and safely.

These refineries also require continuous maintenance, renovations and upgrades. 以最有效的方式完成这项必要的保养, parts of the refineries are shut down every few years in what’s called a “turnaround.” 

2018年4月, the CHS Refinery at Laurel embarked on its most recent turnaround, a 50-day period in which about 70 percent of the refinery is shut down so that 1,200 tasks – everything from replacing valves to replacing an entire piping unit – can be completed. “Our goal is to update the refinery so that we can meet and exceed standards and to embark on new projects that will allow us to produce more fuel for our farmer-owners,吉姆·欧文说, CHS劳雷尔的周转经理. 

规划及范围
这项工作大约在两年前开始, when the entire refinery came together to understand what work should be completed as part of the turnaround. Through workshops and inspections, a list of about 2,000 items was created. Work that helps the refinery meet safety and environmental regulations moves to the top of the list. 然后使用风险评估矩阵对其他项目进行评估. “These guidelines help us prioritize what we have to do,吉姆说。. 

In addition to maintenance projects, the 2018 turnaround will consist of two capital projects. The first is a metallurgy upgrade project that will allow the refinery to buy cheaper, 更具腐蚀性的原油, 这将等于合作社和生产者的储蓄. “We’re upgrading all of the equipment that the crude will aggressively corrode to a special grade of stainless steel so we can improve the refining process and still produce quality end products,吉姆说。. “这对我们的老板和CHS整体来说都是双赢的.” 

The second capital project is replacing various equipment in the Fluid Catalytic Cracker, 炼油厂汽油生产装置. “这个项目不仅会维护, 还有升级, 我们单位, which helps us produce more gasoline for our farmer-owners and their communities,吉姆说。. 

协调工作
Planning the turnaround is a big job and for the first time it has a dedicated owner in Jim. 多年来, the role of turnaround coordinator rotated between refinery employees, which created inconsistency in process and lack of historical knowledge. “我们非常幸运，现在有了一位全职的周转经理, especially one with the refinery knowledge and experience that Jim brings to this new position,帕特·金说, CHS桂冠炼油厂经理. 

In addition to ordering thousands of parts and understanding how the refinery oil flow will be impacted, 吉姆还协调了大于2,000名承包商被派到现场完成工作. At the peak of the turnaround, about 900 extra people will be in the refinery per shift. This influx of people has a significant impact on the town of Laurel, where refinery leadership keeps an open line of communication with law enforcement and city leaders. “这种转变肯定是对当地经济的大量涌入, 但它也可能给居民带来麻烦. We understand that and try to do everything we can to mitigate complaints,吉姆说。. 

直至竣工
At the end of the turnaround, starting the refinery up again isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. “安全无泄漏的启动非常重要, so we have a number of quality procedures and measures in place to ensure that happens,吉姆说。. This includes audits throughout the turnaround as well as a comprehensive tagging system to make sure every connection is secure. 

“We are incredibly proud of the work we do during turnaround,” says Kimmet. “对于我们的团队来说，这是一段紧张而疲惫的时间, but it’s important work that helps our refinery grow stronger to better serve our owners.” 

The refinery is on a staggered turnaround schedule with the next one scheduled for 2020.