The newly commissioned isomerization (isom) unit at OAO Rosneft’s 6.8 million-tonne/year Kuibyshev refinery in Russia’s Samara region has produced its first lot of on-specification isomerate to be used in the production of high-octane gasoline, the company said.
With a research octane number (RON) of 88.6, the initial lot of isomerate meets the company’s targeted RON rating of no less than 88, according to a statement from Rosneft.
The company said output from the new unit will serve as a high-octane gasoline blending component to enable the refinery’s production of low-sulfur fuels that meet Euro 5 environmental specifications.
Commissioned in early September, the 280,000-tpy isom unit was one of the key projects in Rosneft’s large-scale investment program to increase production capacities at the Kuibyshev refinery (OGJ Online, Sept. 3, 2014).
The Kuibyshev modernization project also includes construction of eight new units as well as reconstruction of four of the refinery’s existing operating units, all of which are due to be completed by 2016, Rosneft said.
The Kuibyshev modernization is part of Rosneft’s company-wide refinery modernization plan launched in 2008, which includes the construction of 30 units and reconstruction of more than 20 units at Rosneft’s Russian refineries (OGJ Online, Aug. 29, 2014).
Modernization projects previously implemented at Kuibyshev previously enabled the refinery to produce Super Euro-98 gasoline that meets Euro 5 standards ahead of schedule, according to Rosneft.
