On 29 June, Petrobras began a maintenance shutdown at RPBC, in Cubatão, on the coast of São Paulo.
Around R$500 million will be invested by the company with the aim of preserving the integrity of the equipment and people’s safety, increasing efficiency in the production process and implementing projects. The scheduled services will last approximately 70 days.
Regulatory inspections, preventive maintenance and the implementation of the project to increase the capacity of distillation unit V, responsible for processing 5,200 m3/day of oil, will be carried out. Distillation is the first process in a refinery, where oil is heated to high temperatures and, through evaporation, gives rise to various by-products. RPBC has two other distillation units.
Supply contracts will not be affected
The scheduled maintenance stoppage will not affect supplies to the market. “Petrobras does detailed planning so that prior stocks are guaranteed. During the period in which part of RPBC’s production is interrupted, the company will act in an integrated manner with the commercial and logistics areas, making it possible to serve our customers,” says general manager Fernando Tadeu.
RPBC has the capacity to process 178,000 barrels of oil per day. Its main products are S-10 diesel, A petrol, Podium petrol, aviation petrol and cooking gas. Most of its production is destined for the Greater São Paulo market. A portion also supplies the Baixada Santista and the North, Northeast and South regions.