Kazakh market to be provided with domestic petroleum products

By Kamila Aliyeva

Kazakhstan’s market has started to be supplied with domestic petroleum products, First Deputy Energy Minister Makhambet Dosmukhambetov said at the KIOGE conference in Kazakhstan.

KIOGE exhibition features the latest technological, engineering and software developments for oil and gas producing companies from the leading oil and gas companies, oilfield services companies and suppliers of the industry.

Addressing the event, he spoke about the reconstruction of Kazakhstan's oil refineries.

“In the sphere of oil refining, the modernization projects for the Atyrau refinery and the Pavlodar plant have been successfully completed. The term of the final reconstruction of the Shymkent refinery is planned before the end of this year. Upon completion of the reconstruction of these plants, the provision of country's domestic market with petroleum products began, the import dependence on gasoline, diesel fuel, and aviation kerosene was excluded,” Dosmukhambetov said.

According to the minister, the introduction of repair management automation systems at three refineries this year allows reducing the annual repair schedule of plants from 45 to 20 days. The stops for 45 days will now occur no more than once every three years. Also at each refinery, the volume of oil refining has been increased.

“Thus, in the near future our market will be fully provided with domestic petroleum products,” he added.

Kazakhstan has three major oil refineries - Atyrau, Shymkent and Pavlodar. Pavlodar and Atyrau refineries have already completed its modernization program, while Shymkent was expected to wrap up the reconstruction and modernization in September.

The refining capacity of all the three plants was said to increase from 13.8 to 16.5 million tons after the modernization. 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.

Earlier, it was also announced that a new oil refinery plant will be built in Kazakhstan. A contract with investors from Singapore for the total amount of 300 billion tenge was signed in Karaganda in the spring of this year. According to preliminary calculations, the plant will process up to 1 million tons of oil per year.

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Kamila Aliyeva is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Kami_Aliyeva

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