Kazakhstan modernizes Shymkent refinery

/By AzerNews/

By Aynur Karimova

Kazakhstan is conducting a full-scale upgrade of the Shymkent refinery's production capacity.

It is expected that as a result of modernization, the depth of oil refining will increase by up to 80 percent, the production volume will reach 6 million tons per year, gasoline production will increase threefold, and the produced gasoline will comply with environmental quality standards Euro-4 and Euro-5.

The country's National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" reported that the first batch of gasoline was produced at the Shymkent refinery in early 1985.

Despite the maximum utilization of its production capacity, demand for the refinery's products started to exceed supply in 2010, and as a result, it was decided to upgrade the refinery gradually.

The modernization process will be conducted in two stages.

The first stage envisages mastering the production of motor fuels that meet the environmental classes of K4 and K5 (similar to Euro-4 and Euro-5), in accordance with the technical regulations of the Customs Union. For this purpose, the existing machines will be reconstructed and new equipment will be installed at the refinery.

Plans to install new equipment include introducing isomerization equipment for the production of 4,000 tons of sulfur per year, as well as the reconstruction of the diesel hydrotreater. After being commissioned, all of the refinery's products will be labeled in compliance with Euro-4 and Euro-5 standards.

The second stage of modernization envisages bringing production volumes up to 6 million tons per year and increasing the depth of oil refining to 80 percent. At this stage, the refinery will replenish its arsenal with a catalytic cracking unit "RFCC," gasoline hydrotreater "Prime G +," production of sulfur, purification of hydrogen, and so on.

After the completion of the second stage, the annual production of high-octane gasoline will increase from 735,000 tons to 2.186 million tons; diesel fuel, from 1.346 million tons to 1.946 million tons; and aviation fuel, from 280,000 tons to 425,000 tons.

The completion of the upgrade of the refinery is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2017.

Kazakhstan's Shymkent oil refinery is one of three main oil refineries operating in the country. The other two refineries are Atyrau and Pavlodar.