Petrobras has signed a production and assembly contract for pipelines for its new Comperj refinery in Rio de Janeiro.
The contract with Brazilian engineering company MPE is for the pipeline required for the refinery. In total, the contract includes 12,000 MT of pipeline with 4.5 km (2.8 miles) of extension and 21,700 meters of concrete for foundations.
The Brazilian state controlled oil company announced the contract Tuesday night. Work on the Comperj refinery complex began in 2008.
Brazil's imports gasoline because of a shortage of refining capacity. In 2010, the country imported 505 million liters of gasoline, according to the Brazilian Center for Infrastructure.
The first phase of the Comperj refinery, producing diesel, aviation kerosene, naphta, coke and sulphur for the national market and petrochemical plants is due to start operation in 2013. Comperj's petrochemical units are due to start work in 2017 and the second stage of its refining in 2018. The refinery will have a capacity of 330,000 b/d of crude.
