Phillips 66 is putting in a major piece of equipment at its Ferndale refinery.
The Ferndale Refinery is located on Puget Sound in Ferndale, Washington, about 20 miles south of the U.S.-Canada border
A 17-story (177′ long) 200-ton tower was recently delivered to the refinery and should be in operation sometime in 2017, said Jeff Callender, spokesman at the refinery. The crude-distillation tower is replacing the original, which was installed in 1954.
The tower takes heated crude oil and creates different components as it is recaptured at different temperatures. The components include butane, gasoline, kerosene and diesel.
The Bellingham Herald reports, the tower was brought in by Bigge Crane and Rigging earlier this month and is now behind the property fence line. Up to 120 contract workers will be on the project during installation. It will take about 70,000 contractor hours to complete, Callender said. The new tower will come online following a planned maintenance turnaround next year.
According to its Phillips 66, the refinery employs about 400 people, including contractors.
Dave Gallagher: 360-715-2269, @BhamHeraldBiz
