Ras Tanura Refinery Clean Fuels Project has put in place its largest and heaviest naphtha splitter column, weighing 544 tons, according to Pipeline Oil and Gas Magazine.

The equipment took three hours to be placed after six weeks of site preparation and crane positioning.

A 1,600-ton crane was used along with a tailing crane, with a total nominal capacity of 600 tons, to lift the 65-meter high column, with a diameter of eight meters.

The main function of the naphtha splitter column is to split the hydro-treated naphtha into light and heavy naphtha; this is a key function to the Naphtha Hydro-treating Unit, as it controls the benzene precursors, which are then sent to the Isomerization Unit.

The column is the main feeder to the new, world’s-largest Continuous Catalytic Reforming (CCR) and Isomerization Units, with a total operating capacity of 90,000 and 65,000 barrels per day (b/d), respectively.

It is worth noting that the project will support Saudi Aramco’s goal of supplying diesel and gasoline products that comply with the future Saudi Aramco gasoline and diesel quality specifications, as per Euro-V fuels quality standards.