What it is In a Petrochemical Plant the feedstock (generally natural gas or petroleum liquids) is converted into fertilizers, and/or other intermediate and final products such as olefins, adhesives, detergents, solvents, rubber and elastomers, films and fibers, polymers and resins, etc.

How it works

Petrochemical plants show an infinite variety of configurations depending on the products being produced. The main categories are:

Ethylene Plants: Ethylene is produced via steam cracking of natural gas or light liquid hydrocarbons. Ethylene is one of the main components of the resulting cracked gas mixture and is separated by repeated compression and distillation.

Fertilizer Plants: A reforming process converts the feedstock into a raw syngas which is then purified, compressed, and fed to high pressure reactors where ammonia is formed. In most cases, the ammonia synthesis plant is combined with a urea synthesis plant where the ammonia reacts at high pressure with CO2 (separated from the raw syngas and then compressed) to form urea.

Methanol Plants and other Alcohols: High temperature steam-methane reforming produces a syngas that then reacts at medium pressure with a suitable catalyst to produce methanol.

Plastic Production Plants: several grades of plastic materials are produced from ethylene, propylene and other monomers by means of a great variety of proprietary processes that cause polymerization occur in the presence of suitable catalysts.

Other Petrochemical Plants: include Acetylene, Butadiene, Sulfuric Acid, Nitric Acid, PTA, Chlorine, and Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol.

GE Oil & Gas Offerings

• Gas Turbine Packages for power generation (10 to 34 MW)
• Steam Turbines for Mechanical Drive
• Compressors (Centrifugal, Reciprocating, Oil-free Screw)
• Hypercompressors for LDPE plants
• Turboexpanders
• Blowers
• Centrifugal Pumps
• Compression/Pumping packages
• Heavy Wall Reactors
• Tubular Reactors
• Air Cooled Heat Exchangers
• Steam Condensers
• Control & Safety Valves
• Product Installation & Maintenance Services
• Revamps & Rerates
• Contractual Service Agreements
• Technical Training