Puma extends refinery

 By HELEN TARAWA

PUMA Energy has spent about US$50 million (K100 millon) to expand the oil refinery at Napa Napa.

General manager Napa Napa refinery Walter Canova told The National that the company spent US$40m (K80m) to service two of its storage tanks and US$10m (K20 million) to extend the jetty.

“This is our plan. We are finishing the servicing of two big tanks and in a month we will be putting in two new 18,000 cubic metre product tanks,” he said.

“This will give us more flexibility on the logistical side – to have bigger imports and being able to export more volume.” 

Canova said the company was upgrading the jetty to increase its capacity so it could receive vessels with 110kdwt (depth weight capacity). 

The capacity of the jetty would be increased from 110 to 170kdwt. 

He said work on the jetty expansion and the new tanks services would end next month.

The work on the new jetty started last September. 

“It took us several months to do all the engineering and bidding process to select the contractor,” he said.

“We anticipate that the servicing of the new tanks and the work at the jetty should be completed by May for us to receive bigger vessels.”

Canova said between May and July, the jetty should receive bigger vessels to transport refined products from the refinery.