Sinopec to Increase Oil Capacity in Xinjiang's Tahe Refinery

China's Sinopec said that by 2015, the firm would spend USD8.41 billion to increase refinery capacity and expand oil and gas output in northwestern Xinjiang region, reported Reuters.

The company added that Tahe's annual refining capacity would be raised to 10 million tons by 2015, almost the double.

The top Asian refiner also said that oil output in Xinjiang would be boosted between 9 million and 11 million tons from 7.25 million tons in 2011, whereas natural gas output would be increased to 1.8-3.0 billion cubic meters (bcm) from 1.59 bcm a year ago in order to match the expansion at the Tahe refinery.

It is worth noting that Tahe, which processed 4.25 million tons of crude oil and other feedstocks and sold a total 4.1 million tons of oil products in 2011, is Sinopec's only refinery in Xinjiang.