Rosneft’s Novokuibyshev refinery due hydrocracking plant

July 21, 2017
PJSC Rosneft has completed delivery of major process equipment as part of the ongoing construction of a grassroots hydrocracking plant and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) regeneration unit at its 8.8-million tonne/year refinery at Novokuibyshev, Samara Oblast, in southeastern Russia.

PJSC Rosneft has completed delivery of major process equipment as part of the ongoing construction of a grassroots hydrocracking plant and methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) regeneration unit at its 8.8-million tonne/year refinery at Novokuibyshev, Samara Oblast, in southeastern Russia.

Nine processing columns ranging from 18 to 58 m high and weighing a total of 1,500 tonnes arrived at the refinery in mid-July, in line with the project’s construction schedule, Rosneft said.

The hydrocracking plant and MDEA regeneration unit come as part of Rosneft’s site-specific implementation of upgrades at Novokuibyshev under the company’s broader modernization plan for its domestic refineries, which specifically aims to further improve the overall refining depth, environmental performance, and yield of light-end petroleum products (OGJ Online, Aug. 29, 2014).

Launched in 2008, the ongoing modernization program in its entirety will include construction of 30 units and reconstruction of more than 20 units at Rosneft’s nine Russian refineries.

To date at Novokuibyshev, Rosneft already has completed construction of a continuous catalytic reforming unit as well as the combined upgrade-construction of the refinery’s isomerization unit as part of the modernization effort, the company said.

Alongside the hydrocracking plant, Rosneft’s plans at Novokuibyshev include construction of a second crude distillation unit (AVT-2), a hydrotreating unit, and reconstruction of the refinery’s delayed coking unit to expand capacity to 1.5 million tpy.

While Rosneft said in early 2017 that Novokuibyshev’s hydrocracking, AVT-2, hydrotreating, and delayed coking projects could be completed as soon as yearend, the company told investors on May 10 that overall progress on the site’s modernization program remained at 60%.

Contact Robert Brelsford at [email protected].