29-01-2015

New sulphur production unit at LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC

The opening of the first process unit of the new Heavy Residue Processing Complex at LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC, Sulphur Recovery Unit 4, was held on 29.01.2015.

The ceremony was attended by Bozhidar Lukarski, the Minister of Economy of the Republic of Bulgaria, Valcho Cholakov, the Regional Governor, Dimitar Nikolov, the mayor of Burgas, Stefan Bonev, the mayor of Kameno, Igor Ilingin, the Commercial Representative of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Bulgaria, Vladimir Nekrasov, The First Vice-President of LUKOIL Oil Company, Thomas Mueller, the Vice-president of Oil refining, Petrochemistry and Gas processing of OAO LUKOIL, Аnatoly Moskalenko, the Vice-president of Personnel Management and Organizational Development of OAO LUKOIL, Denis Dolgov, the Vice-president of Energy of OAO LUKOIL, Sergey Mironov, the deputy Managing Director of Regulatory Affairs – Head of Regulatory Affairs Department of OAO LUKOIL, Alexander Rappoport, Head of Department of Construction organization and Project Implementation Control at OAO LUKOIL, Olesya Domnina, Head of Business Optimization Department at OAO LUKOIL, Georgy Kiradiev, the Chairman of the trade union association IATUO OAO LUKOIL, Valentin Zlatev, the member of the Supervisory Board of LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC and Managing Director of LUKOIL Bulgaria, Aleksandar Velichkov, Director of Regulatory Affairs of LUKOIL Bulgaria, Sergey Andronov, the Chairman of the Management Board of LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC, Carlo Albanese, the Executive Director and the Oscar Spalmac, Vice-president on behalf of Kinetics Technology, employees of the Company and Kinetics Technology.

The ribbon of the new SRU-4 was cut by Bozhidar Lukarski, Igor Ilingin and Vladimir Nekrasov together.

The 71 mln USD invested in this facility are a perfect start of the investment year in Bulgaria, Minister Lukarski said and emphasized that the investment of 1.5 bln USD, which Company LUKOIL makes in the refinery, is the largest private investment in the country. He hailed the decision of LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC to shut down the old production facilities built during the 60s of the last century, and noted that their replacement with latest generation processing technologies will not only increase the quality and the efficiency of production but will also bring it in line with the highest environmental standards of the European oil-refining industry.

The First Vice-president of  OAO LUKOIL Vladimir Nekrasov expressed gratitude to the state and local authorities for the favourable investment climate created in the country and for the consistent support and cooperation due to which LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC enjoys the development of an advanced enterprise.

The project is one of the largest sites in the history of the economic relations between Russia and Bulgaria, the Commercial representative of the Russian Federation in Bulgaria Igor Ilingin noted. Today’s event is a positive signal for Russia, because one of the large Russian companies – LUKOIL, successfully implements its strategic plans not only in Russia but also abroad. Mr Ilingin wished a successful completion of the construction of the new Heavy Residue Processing Complex.

The Chairman of the Management Board Sergey Andronov made a short presentation of the new facility.

Sulphur Recovery Unit – 4 is the first of the process units of the Heavy Residue Processing Complex which is under commissioning.

It has been built under the license of KINETICS TECHNOLOGY–KT and complies with the “Best available techniques” catalogue for oil Refineries (BREF on mineral oil refineries 2014).The construction investment amounts to 71 million USD.

The new unit will process the hydrogen sulphide obtained during the catalytic thermal processes of oil fractions upgrading, both from the new facilities of the Heavy Residue Processing Complex to be started up, and from the existing refinery units.

The unit capacity is 300 tons of granulated sulphur per day with recovery rate of no less than 99,8 %.

The start-up of the new unit will allow the shutdown of the SRU - 2, built in the sixties of the previous century with much inferior environmental and production indicators. The new facility will enable LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC produce higher quality environmentally friendly products and at the same time reduce the environmental impact of its operations bringing these indicators in line with the highest standards of European oil refining. Sulphur Recovery Unit – 4 a hydrogen sulphide processing capacity reserve.

Implementing investment projects through application of modern technologies, LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas JSC demonstrates its ambition to achieve the highest standard in the area of ecology, commitment and enduring responsibility to protect the health of the people living in the area of its operation.