KBR to market BP’s Veba Combi refining technology under new agreement

KBR to market BP refining technology

HOUSTON — Engineering and construction company KBR Inc. will promote and market a BP-owned refining technology under an agreement announced Thursday.

Veba Combi cracking technology, or VCC, uses hydrogen to upgrade residual oils into high-quality distillates and synthetic crude oil. Houston-based KBR will license the technology globally.

“KBR anticipates the trend in refining and fuels production shifting to hydrogen addition, especially in the face of changing environmental regulations and the demand for carbon emissions reductions,” KBR Chairman, President and CEO William Utt said in a statement. “The addition of VCC to our portfolio puts KBR in a position to meet client needs as these changes begin affecting the global hydrocarbons market.”

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

BP PLC acquired VCC technology in 2002 from a German developer.