Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery launches new catalytic cracking complex

To date, foreign investments in the reconstruction and modernization of the Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery have amounted to nearly $ 1.5 bn. The refinery has just launched a new catalytic cracking complex worth $ 260 mm consisting of a Milli-Second Catalytic Cracking facility to refine 1.8 mm tpy of oil and a facility with an annual production capacity of 920,000 tons of high-octane gasoline, 255,000 of diesel fuel, 280,000 of furnace fuel, and 345,000 tons of liquefied gas.
This project, that has been implemented by a French company, Technip, and the Iranian petroleum engineering company, NINISC, will increase the efficiency of oil refining from 64 % to 82 %. This year the Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery plans to export nearly 500,000 tons of high-octane gasoline and more than 200,000 tons of liquefied gas.

A former raw material base of the Soviet Empire, Turkmenistan is now implementing a large-scale national program to develop the national oil and gas sector, oriented towards the export of finished oil products. A key component of these policies of modernization of the Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery is the participation of leading companies from Turkey, Iran, Japan, the United States, Germany, France, Israel, South Korea, Philippines, the Czech Republic, and Ireland.
Last spring the oil refinery put into operation the first modernized facility - a hydro-purification and catalytic reforming facility with a capacity of 750,000 tpy installed by Japan's Nichimen and Chioda and Turkey's Gamma. This summer Technip will put into operation a $ 190 mm facility to produce 80,000 tpy of lubricants for diesel and gasoline engines and transmission oil.
Turkmenistan will also start producing polymers. By 27 October (the 10th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence) a consortium of JGC, Itochu, Nisho Iwai, and Marubeni Energy & Chemical Project (Japan) will launch a polypropylene facility with an annual capacity of 90,000 tons. The project will cost $ 400 mm.
An Irish company, Emerol, has recently started modernizing a coke facility at the Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery. This facility was built 25 years ago and has worked for over twice as long as its planned operation period. After the reconstruction it will increase the output to 900,000 tpy.

Currently the Oil Refinery is reconstructing its production infrastructure and engineering facilities and has laid an 11-lane oil pipeline connecting the refinery with the Ufra oil storage and a pumping station, providing for uninterrupted transportation of finished oil products. Japan's JGC has constructed several infrastructure facilities, including an electric substation, a boiler, and a water desalination facility.
The Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery has also created a training centre where foreign specialists teach local personnel to operate and maintain new facilities and equipment. This year the Refinery will refine 5.4 mm tons of crude oil, and by 2010 its capacity will increase to 9 mm tons. The Turkmenbashi Oil Refinery pays special attention to the ecological security of new and reconstructed facilities. Specialists assure that the refinery will meet all domestic and international standards with respect to the environment.