Ecopetrol refinery upgrade will boost margins in face of low crude prices.

摘要

The Columbian state energy firm said an upgrade at its Cartagena refiner}' will be completed next year and boost overall throughput at the plant from 80K b/d to 165K b/d while allowing the plant to upgrade lower-cost heavy crude into high-quality products such as low-sulfur diesel, gasoline, and jet fuel for export. The capacity at Cartagena could be further expanded to over 200K b/d after 2017 should Ecopetrol proceed with future upgrades. The company believes that the expansion and modernization at Cartagena will help the company boost margins in the face of dwindling crude prices as it will allow the South American nation to produce excess high-quality refined products that can be exported to maximize profits.