Matosinhos refinery  

 

Area of movement and dispatch of products

Every product from raw material to those in the intermediate and finished phases of production are stored and moved by pumping in the storage area. The storage area covers 105 hectares and comprises almost 251 reservoirs with an overall capacity of 1,900,000m3.

Fuel capacity

We obtain the desired specifications in some types of fuel products through capacity operations of several components and, in some cases, by including specific additives, such as producing different types of gasolines or aviation fuel.

Product dispatch

Finished products come in gas, liquid or solid states. We dispatch them in three ways:

• By road - We dispatch liquid products by tank trucks or packages. For tank trucks, we load the most volatile products using a filling system underneath with steam recovery;
• By sea - The refinery is connected to the Terminal of Oil Tankers of Leixões through a pipeline that allows us to dispatch products by ship;
• By pipeline - We transfer some products by pipeline to other facilities with storage capacity. For example, we transfer propane and butane to the Perafita and Real parks and jet fuel to Francisco Sá Carneiro airport.

Sea Terminal - monobuoy

A monobuoy is a cylindrical body 12 metres in diameter and 6.5 metres high, above which a rotative platform is installed. It is located off the coast and connected by oozes to a buried pipeline 3.2km long.
 
From 1 January to 31 October 2008, 34 ships unloaded 3.5 million tonnes of crude oil on the monobuoy. This equipment helps improve the conditions of these operations and enhances safety in supplying fuel to northern Portugal.
 

The discharge operation of ships is now performed in deeper waters, away from natural obstacles. It also depends less on weather conditions and the sea, which once prevented ships entering Leixões port during winter.

Tanker terminal of Leixões

The Leixões port has a terminal for tankers constructed over the natural submersed breakwater. It is 700 metres long and 15 metres above the sea level, acting as protection to the entrance of the Leixões port.
 
This terminal has the following docking spots:

Spot A - for ships until 113,000 tdw and 13.50 metres of draft.
Spot B - for ships until 27.000 tdw and 8.70 metres of draft.
Spot C - for ships until 5,000 tdw and 5.90 metres of draft.

The terminal is connected to the refinery by almost 20 pipelines. This means it is equipped to receive crude oil and refined products, and dispatch a wide range of intermediate and finished products, fuel, lubricants, gases of liquefied crude, aromatics, solvents and base oils.

Programming and data processing

This area executes and controls the refinery's short and medium-term production plans. Its processes guarantee we meet anticipated market demand for quantity and quality.
 
The area also analyses physical quantities involved in the process and checks its reliability. Additionally, following validation and conciliation, the area makes daily and energy balances, which are essential for managing the refinery and controlling breaks and consumption.

Laboratory

The complex's laboratory guarantees we control the key characteristics of the intermediate products and the specificities of the finished products for the entire production process.
 
The laboratory is accredited by the Portuguese Institute of Quality in accordance with the NPN 45001 standards.

Technology

The technology area studies and drafts projects for process changes and operational and technical conditions. These activities optimise the productivity and reliability of the production system.

Control rooms

Each plant within the complex is composed of several interconnected processing units. Every unit is equipped with control systems, namely:

DCS (distributed control system) which collects and treats the data from the process; and

Control by computer (advanced control), starting from the real time measures and from information produced by inline analysers, using specific mathematical models, minimises the deviation from controlled variables relatively to consigned set-points values.
 
These systems are installed in the control rooms of the plants, dealing with aromatics/fuels (common room), base oils and utilities, and the areas of product movement and dispatch.
 
Each control room features safety systems for the units. Managed by PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and connected to operator control terminals, the systems guarantee 'safe stop' conditions within the facilities, even in emergency situations.

Maintenance

The maintenance area is organised in several specialised areas, allowing it to respond to complex repairs and guarantee the reliability and safety standards of equipment and the structure.

The general maintenance area, organised by each plant, guarantees the facilities' operations. The area of stops and enterprises is accountable for maintaining the industrial complex's programmes, which take place every four years.
 

To respond to the maintenance needs of the industrial complex, global pluri-annual contracts or punctual contracts of enterprises with contractors are signed. Global pluri-annual contracts have a fixed component entitled 'forfait' and a variable component including prices for unit and assignments. Punctual contracts of enterprises with contractors are signed when demanded by the size and speciality of the work. Specific tenders for each project are also opened. 

Environment

Galp Energia's environmental management system, benefits from considerable financial resources. It is based on a proactive approach and a belief that rationalising our use of natural resources will enable sustainable development. Our continuous pursuit of exceptional environmental performance encourages cooperation, particularly with official authorities.
 
Matosinhos refinery's wastewater treatment station has a treatment capacity of 450m3/h. It receives liquid effluent from the industrial facilities through a complex network of drains, which guarantees oil preservation. The network also uses a rigorous analytical control that monitors effluent and guarantees non-contamination of the external aquifer system.
 
To safeguard the work environment and our natural surrounds, the entire area of the plant is subjected to systematic tracking of chemical and acoustic pollution. Additionally, the plant has a continuous monitoring system of smoke emissions through chimneys. This controls the content of pollutants, adjusting the plant process to meet legal environmental demands.
 
Our residue management plan reduces solid residue by separating, decontaminating, valuing and reusing.

Qualtiy

The pillars of the Matosinhos refinery's quality policy are:

• certification and accreditation of its processes and products;
• treatment of complaints and nonconformities;
• execution of internal audits;
• plans for improving and implementing corrective measures; and
• training and quality awareness.

Safety

From conception to exploration, safety is a priority in every stage of the production process.
 
At the organisational level, safety involves excellent inter-sector articulation, clearly defined responsibilities and continuously assessing the performance of employees and equipment.
 
We also carefully plan and implement material means that comply with a set of concerns. These mean Galp Energia always strives to defend the physical and psychological integrity of employees, safeguard the company's assets and social purpose, protect the environment, and respect the law and interests of the community.
 
At Galp Energia, we believe safety is a key differentiating factor and vital to our success. That is why, through our integrated safety concept, we aim to be a safe and secure company that operates in a competent, organised, committed and cooperative manner.