Posted on August 14, 2024
Chilean state oil company Enap submitted for environmental review a US$60 million dredging project planned for San Vicente bay, Biobío region.
The objective is permitting vessels with deeper drafts to use the San Vicente terminal, where the target is to move 12Mm3/y (million cubic meters) of crude and products through midstream oil facilities.
Work would avoid the need to carry out load-transfer operations in nearby Concepción bay to lighten vessels before they can dock.
The asset is close to Enap’s 116,000b/d processing capacity Biobío refinery, one of three in Chile. Bíobio receives crude oil from sources including Argentina’s Neuquén basin, via pipeline.
Work involves initially dredging up to 2.15Mm3 of material across an area of 93ha, followed by maintenance dredging operations of up to 170,000m3, each over five-month periods. The project also involves minor modifications to the terminal,
A maximum of eight maintenance dredging operations are planned over the 50-year lifespan of the project, according to documents filed with environmental review agency SEA.
