Turner Industries Group, based in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, was contracted to construct
a new coker unit and related structures for the
Cenex Harvest States (CHS) oil refinery in Laurel,
Montana, just outside Billings. The $325
million expansion, the biggest in the refinery’s
history, had a very aggressive construction
schedule that included building roads, a new
rail car loading system, electrical substation
and control room.
Cokers break down the asphalt produced by
crude oil processing to create more gasoline
and diesel fuel, leaving coke as a residual
product. Coke is used like coal to fuel power
generation plants. With the 15,000 barrel/day
coker unit, the refinery expected to increase
its production of gasoline and diesel by about
20 percent, without increasing the amount of
crude oil refined.
At the meeting, Symons answered questions
about the proposed system capacities and
features that would directly benefit the contractor.
They detailed the technical support
and comprehensive construction plans that
Symons would provide to ensure that the
right equipment was on hand at the time it
was needed.
Impressed with the thoroughness of the plan
and the innovative forming ideas presented
by MaCon and Symons, Turner decided to accept
the proposal. Steel‑Ply was immediately
available for the concrete pad construction,
and Max‑A‑Form panels were delivered a few
weeks later when support columns for the
coker unit were ready to be added.
Over 22 months, the project proceeded
smoothly despite record precipitation totals
in that area of the country. The project was
complete at the end of 2007, and it earned
the 2008 Excellence in Construction award
for mega projects from Associated Builders
and Contractors.