PJSC Tatneft, Almetyevsk, Russia, boosted crude oil processing and diesel fuel production rates to record highs in October 2021 at the more than 10-million tonnes/year (tpy) refinery of subsidiary JSC Taneco’s multiphase integrated refining and petrochemical complex in Nizhnekamsk, 250 km from Tatarstan’s capital city of Kazan.
Crude oil throughputs in October increased to a record level of 1.368 million tonnes amid improved utilization of unit production capacities at the refineries, Tatneft said in a mid-November release.
The lift in crude processing during October at Taneco’s complex was accompanied by a record-high monthly diesel production of 642,053 tonnes, according to the operator.
Taneco’s overall production of petroleum products in October totaled more than 1.354 million tonnes, which in addition to diesel, included 146,100 tonnes of motor gasoline, 49,019 tonnes of TS-1 jet fuel, and 163,000 tonnes of stable gasoline, Tatneft confirmed.
Improved crude throughputs and finished production rates at the refinery last month stem from increased efficiencies at the refinery resulting from Tatneft’s ongoing modernization program that—first launched in 2005 and previously planned for completion in 2023—ultimately aims to boost nameplate crude oil processing capacity at Nizhnekamsk to 14 million tpy (OGJ Online, Jan. 29, 2018).
Ilshat Salakhov, Taneco’s general director and head of Tatneft’s oil and gas processing business unit, said the refinery’s increased operational efficiency in October came amid well-coordinated work of all Tatneft and Taneco departments, including crude supply, product distribution, and technology.
Salakhov also said implementation of unidentified modern technologies have enabled the refinery to process additional crude volumes without increasing adverse impacts on the environment.
Ongoing modernization
Taneco’s achievement of record monthly crude processing and diesel production rates in October follows Tatneft’s confirmation earlier in the year that Russia’s Ministry of Energy (MoE) will help finance the addition of several new advanced processing units at the integrated Nizhnekamsk complex (OGJ Online, Mar. 26, 2021).
As part of the agreement, MoE has granted Tatneft an investment premium to the refundable excise tax on crude oil until Jan. 1, 2031, to support completion of construction on four new refining plants at Nizhnekamsk by yearend 2026, according to Tatneft.
Aimed at increasing the refinery’s advanced conversion of crude for production of high-quality, cleaner products such as Euro 5-quality gasoline and diesel, the project—which will require an investment of more than 50 million rubles—will include the addition of a new units for delayed coking, catalytic cracking, heavy residue hydroconversion, and diesel fuel isodewaxing, or hydroisodewaxing.
Further details regarding proposed capacities of the new units or contractors attached to the project have yet to be officially disclosed.
