Also known as:
Norco is a large, high complexity refinery on the Mississippi River about 20 miles west of New Orleans, Lousiana in the US.
Norco is 100% owned and operated by Shell, after assuming full control when the Shell/Motiva JV was dissolved in 2017.
Complexity: 10.3
Atmospheric distillation - 250 kbpd
Vacuum distillation - 91 kbpd
Coker - 29 kbpd
RCC - 120 kbpd - Shell technology
Hydrocracker - 44 kbpd
Reformer - 40 kbpd
Naphtha hydrotreater - 42 kbpd
Distillate hydrotreater - 70 kbpd
FCC gasoline hydrotreater - 77 kbpd
Alkylation - 18 kbpd - Sulfuric acid
C4 Isomerization - 12 kbpd
Pet coke - 7 kbpd
Sulfur plant - 209 t/d
Land - 1000 Acres
Employees - 1200 plus 1000 contractors
1920 - Built by New Orleans Refining Company
1929 - Acquired by Shell
1955 - Chemical plant added
1993 - RCC added
1998 - Placed in Motiva JV with Texaco and Aramco
2002 - Texaco left JV when merged with Chevron
2007 - C4 isomerization added
2009 - SR reformer shut down
2012 - Hydrogen plant shut down
2017 - Motiva JV dissolved and Shell assumed full ownership