Motiva Norco Refining Main Process Units
At Motiva Norco Refining, there are seven main areas that we focus on to produce gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and other byproducts from crude oil. These areas are:

• Distilling Unit (DU-5)
• Residual Catalytic Cracking Unit (RCCU)
• Hydrocracking Unit (HCU)
• Coking Unit (COKER)
• Alkylation/MTBE/Kerosene Treaters (Alky)

HOW THEY OPERATE:

The DU – 5 takes in crude oil and distilling it into various components for further Processing in other units. Distillation is the process of boiling raw materials that are composed of complex molecules in order to separate them into useful or saleable products. The distillation unit uses atmospheric and vacuum distillation and steam stripping to physically separate crude oil into fractions of specific boiling ranges. The lighter fractions or products can undergo further processing or, in some cases, be used as blending stocks. The heavier products, such as gas oils, are sent to the RCCU or HCU as feedstocks.

The RCCU cracks molecules in the product streams coming from the distillation unit. Cracking is the process in which you separate or break up molecules into their various component parts. Catalytic cracking uses heat and catalyst to convert heavy oils into more valuable lower molecular weight products such as propylene, butylene, gasoline and distillates. The feedstock is primarily vacuum gas oils with a boiling range of about 600-1000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The HCU receives raw materials such as diesel range (and slightly heavier materials) from DU-5 and converts it into gasoline and lighter by-products in a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. The unit contains two stages. The main function of the 1st stage is to remove nitrogen and sulfur (catalyst poisons) before routing the oil to the 2nd stage. The main function of the 2nd stage is to convert (crack) 1st stage product into gasoline and lighter products. In the 2nd stage, oil and hydrogen are fed to a charge heater, a set of three parallel hydrocracking reactors followed by a series of separators, a main fractionator and a saturates gas plant. The unit typically operates to 95% conversion and achieves a high yield of heavy Naphtha and gasoline blending components. Other components produced by this unit include jet fuel, furnace oil and heating oil.

The COKER heats heavy oils and thermally cracks them in a large drum. Lighter hydrocarbons and coke are produced. The vapors from the drum are then charged to the fractionator while the coke remains in the drum. The fractionator separates these vapors into fractions of specific boiling ranges. The lighter fractions are sent to other units in the plant for processing. The coke remaining in the drums is removed and sold as high-quality anode grade coke. This coke is ultimately used in the manufacturing of aluminum.

The ALKY is primarily responsible for producing the necessary additives that are blended into gasoline to boost the octane. The alkylation reaction involves a sulfuric acid catalyst and reacts olefins with isobutane to form the high-octane gasoline blending component called alkylate. The major source of the olefin feed to the ALKY plant is from the RCCU. The ALKY department consists of an Alkylation plant and MTBE unit (Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether). The units produce the gasoline additives for boosting octane. In addition, the kerosene treaters in this department are responsible for upgrading the kerosene for jet fuel usage.

What is Motiva?

Motiva Enterprises LLC is an oil refining, lubricants and retail business operation owned by Shell and Saudi Refining Inc. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, we refine and market gasoline to more than 22,000 Shell-branded and Texaco-branded gasoline stations together with our affiliate Shell Oil Products US.

Company assets include three refineries, capable of refining approximately 690,000 barrels per day (bpd) and ownership or partial interest in 50 products terminals.

The company is headed by William Welte, president and CEO

Motiva Norco History

The history of the Motiva Norco Refinery is closely aligned with the history and development of the town. In 1918 the New Orleans Refining Company purchased 366 acres of rice, indigo, and sugar cane fields from the Good Hope Plantation and began operating it as an oil terminal later that year.

The Norco location provided an ideal hub for importing and shipping of oil products. Discoveries of large deposits of crude oil in the lower Mississippi Delta region led to development of refining capabilities.

When the New Orleans Refining Company first located to the area, it offered vast employment opportunities and unique incentives for those interested in joining the company.  In 1919, the company provided its employees with on-site living quarters, schools, and recreational facilities. As the town grew around the facility, it adopted the name Norco, which was the acronym for New Orleans Refining Company.

In 1929, Shell acquired full ownership of the Norco facility and constructed the first refining units. Since then, we have undergone numerous changes, in both our plant and company.

Families expanded and moved out to their own homes bordering the company's fence lines. As the years passed, many cousins, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters of employees recognized the quality of life associated with the petrochemical businesses and found jobs in the petrochemical industry prevalent in the area. Other family members followed different career paths, opening businesses and raising families within a short distance of the Plant, helping to enrich St. Charles Parish with citizens as well as increased revenues. 
 
During the course of the last 35 years, chemical process units were built along side the refining units and the site operated as a refining and chemical manufacturing complex.  In 1998, Shell Oil Products Company took a bold step putting together a merger between two primary oil companies. In our case, it was a merger with Texaco and Saudi Aramco, which had previously formed a company called Star.  The refining and chemical businesses officially separated at that time and the Shell Norco Refining Company became a division of Motiva Enterprises. In February 2002, Texaco exited the merger and Motiva Enterprises became a 50/50 joint venture between Shell and Saudi Aramco.
 
Today, Motiva Norco is the workplace for nearly 700 full-time employees and approximately 300 contractors.

Production and Transportation

At Motiva Enterprises, LLC in Norco, Louisiana, we convert crude oil from the Gulf of Mexico and overseas into automotive gasoline and other oil products. The products we make here at the refinery primarily supply the southeastern portion of the United States. We take great pride in serving you, our customers, and helping you get where you need to go. Whether it's by plane, train, boat or automobile, you could consider Motiva as your motor fuels source to travel the world.

What we make:

• Gasoline (premium and regular grades, unleaded) 
• Jet-A aviation fuel 
• Low sulfur diesel 
• Furnace oil 
• Liquefied petroleum gases (i.e. propane, propylene, isobutane) 
• Anode grade coke

How we transport it:

• Ships 
• Pipelines 
• Barges 
• Trucks 
• Railcars

Key production rates:

• Crude: 240,000 barrels (10.1 million gallons) processed daily 
• Gasoline: 170,000 barrels (7.1 million gallons) produced daily total regular and premium grades 
• Jet-A aviation fuel: 46,000 barrels (1.9 million gallons) produced daily 
• Low sulfur diesel: 50,000 barrels (2.1 million gallons) produced daily 
• Anode grade coke: 1,000 tons produced daily

Manufacturing Profile

The Norco Refining Company is located next to the Mississippi River, about 20 miles west of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Norco refinery is designed to convert approximately 240,000 barrels per day of crude oil, which is made up of approximately 75% of Louisiana sweet crudes and 25% of foreign crudes. The refinery also converts approximately 20,000 - 40,000 barrels per day of other feedstocks into gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and byproducts. We are considered a light, sweet (low sulfur) crude oil refinery.

Here's how it all breaks down: Approximately 38-55 percent of the volume of each crude barrel is separated directly into primary products. The remaining 45-62 percent of the volume must be converted into primary products by further processing. The maximum sulfur-in-crude weight is 0.70 percent.

The Motiva Norco refinery supplies gasoline and low sulfur diesel to the New Orleans markets. We also supply jet fuel to the New Orleans International Airport.  In addition, our products leave by ship and pipeline to destinations all over the southeast United States and abroad.  Listed below is a typical daily production schedule: 170,000 barrels per day of gasoline  46,000 barrels per day of jet fuel  50,000 barrels per day of low sulfur diesel fuel