Where Kazakhstan’s fourth oil refinery to be built?
By Kamila Aliyeva
Kazakhstan’s fourth oil refinery can be built in Shymkent, Aktau or Aktobe, Central Asian media outlets reported.
KazMunaiGaz is developing a feasibility study for the refinery, which should be completed by the end of the second quarter of this year, according to the Kazakh Energy Ministry.
After the scale of the project is determined, a decision on the location of the plant will be made. After the development and presentation of the feasibility study, the question of where from the raw materials will be supplied to the new refinery will be resolved.
Kazakhstan's Energy Minister Kanat Bozumbayev earlier spoke in favor of the need to build a fourth refinery in the republic.
According to the forecasts of the Energy Ministry, there will be a need to increase imports of petroleum products by 2022. By this time, the fourth plant should already be built. In 2019, it is planned to attract investors and begin construction.
Kazakhstan has three major oil refineries - Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar. Pavlodar refinery has already completed its modernization program. Atyrau refinery plans to launch new units by June, while Shymkent is expected to wrap up a modernisation in September.
The refining capacity of all the three plants will increase from 13.8 to 16.5 million tons after modernization of the refinery completes. Production of all types of light oil products, gasoline, diesel fuel and aviation kerosene will increase. All plants will produce gasoline for 2.3 million tons more. The production of diesel fuel will increase for 917,000 tons and aviation kerosene for 539,000 tons.
As a result of 2017, the production of oil refined products reached 709.6 billion tenge in value terms – showing an increase of 14.2 percent compared to 2016. As many as 59.3 percent of the output fell to the Atyrau Refinery, 12 percent – to the Pavlodar Petrochemical Plant and 11.2 percent - to the Shymkent oil refinery. The refineries plan to increase their oil products throughput to 15.3 million tonnes this year, from 14.2 million tonnes last year.
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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva
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