Orion is now on line, operating at full speed

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 19, 2000

LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / July 19, 2000

NORCO – After years of construction, reconstruction and upgrade, Orion Refining’s plant straddling Prospect Avenue in Norco is operating at full speed.

Clark Johnson, president and chief operating officer, said this comes after four years of work preparing the plant for this point. In June, the fluidcatalytic cracking unit was brought on line with an operating capacity of 85,000 barrels per day.

Johnson took over as president following the resignation of Glenn McGinnis last month to pursue other interests. “It’s happy days overthere,” said spokesperson Joy Patin.

That unit has been producing conventional gasoline at an average rate of 51,000 barrels per day since that start-up.

In addition, Orion’s crude unit, coker, distillate hydrotreater and gas oil hydrotreater, operational for more than a year, were brought back online last weekend, following repair work after the June 12 fire.

Also, Orion’s newly refurbished alkylation unit is also in operation.

“This is a significant milestone for Orion and marks the culmination of a lot of hard work by Orion’s employees and contractors,” Johnson said. “Welook forward to being a major new supplier of gasoline for the U.S.market.”Orion is capable of processing 155,000 barrels per day of heavy, sour crude oil, a grade not normally processed at conventional refineries. Itproduces gasoline, diesel fuel, heating oil and liquified petroleum gas.

The plant ranks in the top three of employee base, with around 600 full- time employees.

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