MAO-MING SHALE OIL REFINERY MAO-MING, CHINA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00909A000500010007-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 1, 1972
• Content Type: REPORT

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Top Secret
Industrial Facilities
(Non-Military)
DIRECTORATE OF
INTELLIGENCE
Basic Imageiy Interpretation Report
Mao-ming Shale Oil Refinery
Mao-ming, China
Top Secret
DATE APRIL 1972
COPY f 17
PAGES 11
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iur )tu< I Kurt
RCS 13/0041/72
Mao-ming Shale Oil Refinery
UTM COORDINATES
49QDP875975
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES
21-40-45N 110-52-57E
ACIC. USATC, -
(SECRET
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Directorate of Intelligence
Imagery Analysis Service
Mao-ming Shale Oil Refinery extracts oil from shale and refines it into
petroleum products. The products of the refinery include straight-run and cracked
gasolines, kerosene, diesel and fuel oils, phenol, sulfuric acid, and probably coke.
The processing facilities presently completed include two shale oil retorts, a pri-
mary distillation unit, a thermal cracking unit, a phenol unit, a blending/treating
unit, a probable delayed coking unit, at least one sulfuric acid plant, and several
unidentified secondary processing units.
The shale oil retort section has been observed in operation on all photog-
raphy since it was first seen in September 1963, and the distillation unit since
November 1964. Construction has been under way at the refinery on all coverages
through November 1971.
This report includes a photograph and line drawing of the refinery, a loca-
tion map, a detailed listing of equipment and facilities, dimensions of storage
tanks, and a discussion of the status of the facilities.
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INTRODUCTION
Mao-ming Shale Oil Refinery is located 15 nautical miles south-southeast of
the city of Mao-ming, Kwangtung Province (see Figure 1). Construction of the
refinery was reportedly started in 1959. 1/ Experimental production of oil from
shale was carried out in January and August 1961. 2/ Continuous production began
in March 1962. 1/ Shale to charge the retorts is brought in by rail-from a large
open-pit mine 1.5 nm north of the refinery.
A large water treatment facility is located just south of the refinery and is
connected to it by a canal. Steam and electricity ar provided by the collocate(
Mao-ming Thermal Power Plant Refinery
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F_ Rail
fi
nery is provided by a spur from the Li-tang to Chan-chiang rail line. the re-
BASIC DESCRIPTION
The refinery measures 5,450 by 5,200 feet and occupies 650 acres (see Figures
2 and 3). It is partially secured by a wall.
Operational Functions
This plant is designed to obtain oil from oil shale by means of heat and
pressure generated in retorts. The oil is then refined by the standard techniques
utilized for crude oil. The plant has two conveyor-connected retort buildings
which contain a series of individual retorts. One primary distillation unit per-
forms the initial fractionation of the oil from both retorts. The secondary
processing units presently complete include a thermal cracking and unidentified
secondary processing unit, a phenol unit, a blending/treating unit, a probable
delayed coking unit, and two unidentified secondary processing units. The refinery
also contains one and probably two sulfuric acid plants. A fluid catalytic cracking
unit is under construction and one of the unidentified secondary processing units is
being expanded.
The products of the refinery include straight-run and cracked gasolines,
kerosene, diesel and fuel oils, phenol, and probably coke. Sulfuric acid is also
produced. When the fluid catalytic cracking unit is complete, the refinery will be
capable of producing high octane gasoline.
Construction and Operational Status
In September 1963, when the refinery was first seen on photography, one shale
oil retort was complete and operating, and another was under construction. The
primary distillation unit was complete but did not appear to be operating. It is
possible that the oil produced at that time was shipped out and refined elsewhere
since several tank cars were present in the shipping area. The distillation unit
was first seen operating in November 1964. The construction status of the refinery
from September 1963 through November 1971 is shown in Figure 4.
The phenol unit in Area M was started in 1966. This unit probably is not asso-
ciated with storage tanks located in the same area which had been started earlier.
Construction of the second shale oil retort progressed slowly until September 1968,
when a large amount of construction material and a crane were seen nearby. After
that time'the rate of construction was more rapid, and by September 1971 the retort
was completed.
The refinery was covered on photography only once between December 1968 and
September 1971, and on that coverage the area was mostly cloud covered. The fluid
catalytic cracking unit (Area D) was first seen in September 1971 when it was in a
midstage of construction. Based on the normal construction time for such a unit,
it was probably started in late 1970 or early 1971. The probable sulfuric acid
plant (Area F) was complete when it was first seen in September 1971. It was prob-
ably started in 1969 or 1970. Unidentified construction seen in Area U in September
1971 may be for a chemical plant that will depend at least partially on the refinery
for feedstocks.
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 AREA
FUNCTION
WATER STORAGE AND COOLING
SUPPORT
STORAGE AND SHIPPING
FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING UNDER CONSTRUCTION
STORAGE AND SHIPPING
PROBABLE SULFURIC ACID
SUPPORT
PRIMARY DISTILLATION
THERMAL CRACKING AND UNIDENTIFIED PROCESSING
STORAGE
UNIDENTIFIED SECONDARY PROCESSING
PROBABLE DELAYED COKING
STORAGE
PHENOL PRODUCTION
UNIDENTIFIED SECONDARY PROCESSING
WATER TREATMENT
L SHALE OIL RETORT
2. SHALE OIL RETORT
STORAGE AND SHIPPING
BLENDING/TREATING, STORAGE AND SHIPPING
SULFURIC ACID
SUPPORT
UNIDENTIFIED CONSTRUCTION
Uoder Cons Yuotlon
Complete
Expansion
1963
II
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1964
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1965
1966
1967
FIGURE 4. CONSTRUCTION CHRONOLOGY, MAO-MING SHALE OIL REFINERY, CHINA.
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1968
1969
1970
1971
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The shale oil retort has been observed in operation on all coverages from
September 1963 through November 1971, and the distillation unit on all coverages
since November 1964.
Facilities and Equipment
Table 1 lists the functional areas and equipment within the refinery. The
buildings and processing equipment in areas which are still under construction are
not included in the table or shown in Figure 3. All measurements are rounded to
the nearest 5 feet.
Table 1. Equipment and Facilities at Mao-ming Shale Oil' Refinery
(Keyed to Figure 3)
Area Functional Description
Equipment and Facilities
A Water Storage and Cooling 3 Cooling towers
22 Buildings
2 Cylindrical storage tanks,
20 feet in diameter
4 Semiburied water storage tanks,
115 feet in diameter
4 Covered water reservoirs
18 Water storage basins
B Support 123 Buildings
(3 under construction)
6 Cylindrical storage tanks
2 25-foot-diameter
4 15-foot-diameter
21 Water storage basins
C Storage and Shipping 2 Loading racks
17 Buildings
20 Cylindrical storage tanks
2 120-foot-diameter
3 115-foot-diameter
14 75-foot-diameter
1 55-foot-diameter
6 Tanks under construction
1 Semiburied storage tank,
70 feet in diameter
D Fluid Catalytic Cracking
Under Construction
Equipment not listed
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E Storage and Shipping 2 Loading racks
22 Buildings (one under construction)
19 Cylindrical storage tanks
1 115-foot-diameter
1 80-foot-diameter
10 75-foot-diameter
3 55-foot-diameter
2 50-foot-diameter
2 25-foot-diameter
6 Tanks under construction
2 Water storage basins
Equipment not listed
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Area Functional Description
G Support
Equipment and Facilities
35 Buildings
9 Tanks under construction
H Primary Distillation 1 Unit with
1 atmospheric column
1 vacuum column
7 other columns
2 banks of heat exchangers/
cooling coils/accumulators
2 furnaces
6 processing buildings
1 air cooler
1 pump building
3 support buildings
6 horizontal treating tanks
5 cylindrical storage tanks
1 20-foot-diameter
1 15-foot-diameter
3 10-foot-diameter
I Thermal Cracking and 1 Combination unit with
Unidentified Processing 8 columns
3 clusters of processing
equipment
1 bank of heat exchangers/
cooling coils/accumulators
(on the roof of a building)
2 furnaces
4 processing buildings
2 air coolers
1 pump/compressor building
1 support building
2 cylindrical storage tanks,
15 feet in diameter
J Storage 16 Buildings
22 Cylindrical storage tanks
5 55-foot-diameter
2 50-foot-diameter
4 40-foot-diameter
2 35-foot-diameter
3 30-foot-diameter
1 20-foot-diameter
2 15-foot-diameter
3 10-foot-diameter
1 Tank under construction
1 Semiburied storage tank,
25 feet in diameter
K Unidentified Secondary Processing 1 Unit with
7 columns
2 clusters of processing
equipment
4 furnaces
4 processing buildings
1 air cooler
1 pump building
1 horizontal storage tank,
55 feet in diameter
5 Support buildings
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Area Functional Description
Equipment and Facilities
L Probable Delayed Coking 1 Unit with
2 probable coking drums
3 columns
2 processing buildings
(one with a bank of heat
exchangers/cooling coils/
accumulators on the roof)
1 furnace
1 overhead crane
3 cylindrical processing/
storage tanks
1 blowdown stack with asso-
ciated water storage basin,
building, and cylindrical
tank
5 Support buildings
1 Cylindrical storage tank,
15 feet in diameter
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M Storage and Phenol Production 1 Phenol production unit with
6 short processing tanks
2 clusters of processing
equipment
6 horizontal processing tanks
1 furnace
3 processing buildings
2 Processing buildings with an
associated short column and a
horizontal processing tank
2 Processing buildings with 4
associated short columns and a
horizontal storage tank, 72
feet long
7 Buildings
30 Cylindrical storage tanks
10 35-foot-diameter
7 30-foot-diameter
2 20-foot-diameter
3 15-foot-diameter
8 10-foot-diameter
6 Horizontal storage tanks
1 60-foot-long
2 40-foot-long
3 35-foot-long
N Unidentified Secondary Processing 1 Unit with
6 columns
2 clusters of processing
equipment
3 banks of heat exchangers/
cooling coils/accumulators
1 furnace
5 processing buildings
28 cylindrical processing/
storage tanks
1 horizontal processing tank
3 support buildings
3 Support buildings
6 Cylindrical storage tanks
2 35-foot-diameter
4 15-foot-diameter
(This unit is being expanded)
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Area
Functional Description Equipment and Faci
lit
ies
0
Water Treatment 6 Buildings
P
2 Water treatmen
Shale Oil Retort
t b
asins
(1) Shale Oil Retort 1 Retort buildin
2 Large clusters
g
of
processing
equipment
32 Buildings
6 Cylindrical processing/storage
tanks
(2) Shale Oil Retort
1 Retort building
8 Processing columns
3 Large clusters of processing
equipment
33 Buildings
3 Silos
19 Cylindrical processsing/
storage tanks
Q Storage and Shipping 12 Buildings
9 Cylindrical storage tanks
3
3
2
1
35-foot-diameter
30-foot-diameter
20-foot-diameter
10-foot-diameter
3 Horizontal storage tanks
1
2
50-foot-long
30-foot-long
R Blending/Treating, Storage, 1 Unit with
and Shipping
6
batch agitators
1
furnace
2
processing buildings
11
cylindrical processing/
storage tanks
1
loading building
2
support buildings
6 Support buildings
9 Cylindrical storage tanks
7 75-foot-diameter
1 55-foot-diameter
1 15-foot-diameter
T Support
Equipment not listed
71 Buildings (2 under construction)
1 Overhead crane
2 Cylindrical storage tanks,
15 feet in diameter
4 Tanks under construction
5 Water storage basins
Equipment not listed
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ACIC. US Air Target Chart, Series 200, Sheet M0615-14HL. 3rd edition
March 1967. Scale 1:200.000 (SECRET
Requirement
COMIREX N06
Support Number 422821
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