Rated capacity of the unit is 2.4 million tons of raw materials per annum and the company has invested RUB2.35 billion in the new facility.
The tar visbreaking unit considerably improves efficiency of the refinery, that is, the residual fuel oil output is reduced by 930 thousand tons per annum, while the vacuum gas oil output is increased by 860 thousand tons per annum, the company said. The project implementation enhances the refining depth and production efficiency, the company added.
Vagit Alekperov, president of Lukoil, said: The commissioning of the tar visbreaking unit is a significant stage of a large-scale upgrading. The next stage is construction of a catalytic cracking complex which is to be commissioned in 2010. Thus, the share of high-octane gasolines in the total gasoline output of the refinery will come to 100% and the refinery will become one of the best companies across the industry sector.
