Petroperú clarifies acquisition of liquid nitrogen for Talara Refinery operations

In light of reports circulating in some media outlets regarding the procurement of liquid nitrogen for the Talara Refinery—despite the refinery having its own production plant—Petroperú clarifies the following:

1. The Talara Refinery has an auxiliary nitrogen production plant, which is operated and maintained by the company Matheson. This plant has a standard production capacity of 3,550 standard cubic meters of gaseous nitrogen per hour and a maximum design capacity of 3,900 standard cubic meters per hour. This output is primarily intended to meet the routine requirements of the refinery’s process units and auxiliary systems.

2. During operational events such as startups, shutdowns, maintenance, and other specific activities within the process units, the need for nitrogen increases—potentially creating temporary demand that exceeds the plant’s production capacity.

3. To address these extraordinary requirements, the Talara Refinery procures liquid nitrogen from specialized external suppliers—a limited number of providers, given the volumes involved. This product is transported via tanker trucks and stored at the refinery, where it serves as a supplementary supply during periods of peak consumption.

4. One such instance of extraordinary demand is associated with the startup procedures for the Flexicoking (FCK) unit, which are currently underway. According to its design parameters, the nitrogen requirement during this phase can reach 13,039 standard cubic meters per hour—more than three times the maximum production capacity of the auxiliary nitrogen plant.

Petroperú clarifies that the procurement of liquid nitrogen addresses technical and operational requirements set out in the design of the Talara Refinery, helping to ensure process safety and the continuity of its operations.