2026-10-16
- It is reported that Honeywell UOP will provide process technologies, licensing, engineering, proprietary equipment, catalysts and technical support for Phase II of the Pulau Muara Besar (PMB) refining and petrochemical project of Hengyi Industries Sdn. Bhd. in Brunei, announced on 2026-10-14.
- According to the announcement, Phase II is expected to reach roughly 20 million metric tons per year (20 MMtpy) of crude-processing capacity on completion, and the planned hydrocracking, aromatics and dehydrogenation units are expected to be among the largest of their kind in the world.
- The UOP technologies named are CCR Platforming, Unicracking, Unionfining, Butamer, C4 Oleflex and a full Aromatics Complex based on light desorbent Parex technology.
- Honeywell is reported to have supplied process technologies, engineering design, key equipment, catalysts and adsorbents, operator training and start-up and operating technical services in Phase I as well.
- The contract value and schedule have not been disclosed.
Honeywell UOP announced on 2026-10-14 that it will support Phase II of the Pulau Muara Besar (PMB) refining and petrochemical project in Brunei with process technologies, licensing, engineering, proprietary equipment, catalysts and technical support, according to Hydrocarbon Processing. The owner is Hengyi Industries Sdn. Bhd. (Hengyi Industries, a private limited company), and Phase II is expected to reach roughly 20 million metric tons per year (20 MMtpy) of crude-processing capacity on completion. This is a Southeast Asian project in which a refinery is being tied more closely to petrochemical production. The sections below summarize the announced facts, the technologies involved and the background.
It is reported that Honeywell UOP will provide Hengyi Industries with process technologies, licensing, engineering, proprietary equipment, catalysts and technical support. The stated aim is to improve efficiency and reliability and to support production of higher-value petrochemicals. The scope applies to Phase II of the PMB Refinery and Petrochemical Project.
The UOP technologies named for Phase II are as follows. CCR Platforming (continuous catalyst regeneration reforming) is a naphtha reforming process that is generally described as producing aromatics-rich reformate and hydrogen. Unicracking is a hydrocracking technology that converts heavy streams into lighter products using hydrogen and catalyst. Unionfining is a hydrotreating technology that removes impurities such as sulfur using hydrogen. Butamer is an isomerization technology that converts normal butane to isobutane. C4 Oleflex is a dehydrogenation technology that converts C4 hydrocarbons into olefins. The package also includes a full Aromatics Complex based on light desorbent Parex technology, and Parex is generally described as an adsorptive process for separating paraxylene from mixed xylenes.
According to the announcement, the planned hydrocracking, aromatics complex and dehydrogenation units are expected to be among the largest of their kind in the world. The contract value and the schedule between Hengyi Industries Sdn. Bhd. and Honeywell UOP have not been disclosed.
Numbers
- Announcement date: 2026-10-14
- PMB Phase II crude-processing capacity: roughly 20 million metric tons per year (20 MMtpy)
- UOP technologies named: CCR Platforming, Unicracking, Unionfining, Butamer, C4 Oleflex and an Aromatics Complex based on light desorbent Parex (six technology groups)
- Unit scale: the planned hydrocracking, aromatics and dehydrogenation units are expected to be among the world’s largest.
- Phase I crude-processing capacity: reported at 8 million metric tons per year (8 MMtpy). Wikipedia’s Hengyi Industries entry lists 8 million tons per year, or 175,000 barrels per day.
- Honeywell UOP experience: Rajesh Gattupalli, President of Honeywell UOP, reportedly cited more than 100 years in the energy sector and technologies deployed in hundreds of aromatics complexes and process units.
- Contract value and construction schedule: not disclosed.
Timeline
- 2026-10-14 — Honeywell UOP announces it will provide process technologies, licensing, engineering, equipment, catalysts and technical support for Hengyi Industries’ PMB Phase II in Brunei
Note
- CCR Platforming (continuous catalyst regeneration reforming): a naphtha reforming process in which spent catalyst is continuously withdrawn, regenerated and returned to the reactor, and it is used to obtain aromatics feedstock and hydrogen.
- Parex: a process that selectively separates paraxylene (PX, a polyester raw material) from mixed xylenes using an adsorbent, and the light desorbent version refers to the type of desorbent used in the separation.