Petrochemical Refineries

ARCO Coker Drum Replacement

Westlake provided precise measurement services for replacement of four coker drums. The vessels were 28 feet in diameter, 100 feet tall, and located on a concrete structure 70 feet above the ground.

For each vessel, we located the 12 existing anchor bolts and marked locations on the concrete foundation for the replacement bolts. During drilling, bolt locations were adjusted to avoid existing rebar. We returned to the site to locate the centerline of each drilled hole using a specially designed target.

We provided these final locations to the manufacturer for pre-drilling of the new flanges. Each of the four prefabricated coker drums was lifted into place without need for field fitting.

Client: ARCO Products Co.

Tosco Reactor Cat Wye Replacement

At Tosco's Ferndale, Washington Refinery, Westlake provided as-built measurements and calculated dimensions for four replacement catalytic "Y" (cat wye) assemblies. Tosco planned to replace the assemblies using an alloy that could not be field-welded.

To support prefabrication, we made field measurements of the four cat wyes while they were in operation. The reactor, built in the 1950s, was operating at a temperature of 1000° F. Additional complications were caused by the release of carbon monoxide and the constant vibration of the structure and pipes.

Each of the cat wyes consists of a vertical 20 inch diameter pipe intersected by two 14 inch pipes in a "Y" configuration. The upper flanges of the 20 inch diameter vertical pipes were located on a level above the wye connections, and the upper and lower flanges were not intervisible.

We calculated the design dimensions and marked these on plans provided by Tosco. The plans served as the basis for prefabrication of the new cat wyes.

Client: Tosco Inc.