R E F I N E R Y

A.      G E N E R A L

           The Tripoli Refinery was built during the last world war (1940) as a topping plant
     (Distillation Unit No.1) with a maximum production capacity of 8930 MT/d. This was expanded In
     1949 by the building and commissioning of Crude Distillation Unit No.2, with a capacity of 1375
     Metric Tons per day (10,000 b/d) plus other facilities which brought it to the status of a small
     Refinery. Further expansion and modernisation took place in 1951, 1964, 1965 and 1968 resulting
     now in combined plant capable of supplying about two thirds of the needs of the local Lebanese
     Market. Modernisation and safety, however, dictated the scrapping of Distillation Unit No.1 in
     1968, after it had been the only producing unit of the kind in Lebanon from 1940 to 1948 and 26
     years of faithful service. The products marketed now are Premium (96 Octane) and Regular
     Benzines, Kerosene for domestic and aviation turbine usage, Gas and fuel oils and bitumen. An
     excess of fuel oil is exported.

B.      P R 0 C E S S I N G

               Processing Units available include Crude Distillation Unit No.2, which was designed and
     built by the I.P.C. in 1948/49 (referred to above) and Crude Distillation Unit No.3, designed and
     built by Matthew Hall Engineering Ltd. in 1664/65 with a capacity of 2500 Metric Tons per stream
     day (18,250 barrels/day). Both give a total crude throughput of 3875 MT/d (28,250 b/d) of a 5/1
     blend of Kirkuk/Ain Zalah crude oil. No.3 Unit also includes a copper chloride sweetening unit
     for Benzine.
     
              Benzine from the distillation units (straight run) goes to the Catalytic Reformer, built
     in 1964 to a design by Kellogg International Corp, This consists of a desulphurisation unit of a
     capacity of about 525 MT/d (4600 barrels per stream day) and a Catalytic Reforming Unit with a
     capacity of 422 MT/d (3700 barrels/day).  Light and Reformed Benzines produced by the Reforming
     Unit are blended in various proportions with the straight run Benzine from distillation to
     produce Regular and Premium Benzines. The last stop before marketing of Benzines is the addition
     of Octel (Tetra-Ethyl Load) and a dye in a Blending Unit. Facilities for the recovery of
     L.P.G. (Liquid Petroleum Gas) from the Reformer are also provided. Very light petroleum
     fractions, which are a further product of reforming, are used as Fuel Gas to feed the burners of
     the Catalytic Reforming Unit itself and to feed, in part, the burners of both distillation units
     and Ruston dual fuel engines running electrical alternators in the Power House.
     
               The Crude Kerosene from the distillation units is treated in a Plumbite sweetening
     plant, built by the I.P.C. in 1951 for Benzine sweetening and converted in 1965 to Kerosene. The
     original Kerosene Plumbite Treating Unit was converted in 1965 to use Sulphuric Acid for
     sweetening kerosene. The Tripoli Refinery has, therefore, two units for Kerosene treating the
     first running at rates of up to 180 MT/day and the second with a designed capacity of 380 MT/day.
     A blend of the two kerosenes results in a product with the necessary market specifications.