Azerbaijan, Baku, August 4 / Trend E. Ismayilov /
The U.S company Honeywell UOP continues to prepare a feasibility study to modernize an installation in the catalytic cracker at the SOCAR's Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery, a source in the company said.
The program of reconstruction and modernization of this installation covers 2010-2014. The works are conducted to improve the quality and volume of petrol and bring oil products to quality standards Euro-3.
He said that the work on the modernization of the installation has not been launched yet, because the U.S company is still in the process of preparing a feasibility study.
"Modernization has not been launched yet. The work related to the preparation of feasibility study is underway," the source said.
Another source at SOCAR said that the following projects will be realized within the reconstruction work at the plant.
It is planned to increase the production capacity of the catalytic cracking unit from two million tons to 3 million tons, implement the reconstruction project to improve quality indicators and lower operating costs (2010-2012).
It is planned to increase the capacity of the installation of primary processing (ELOU AVT-6), reduce fuel and energy consumption (about 30 percent), implement the reconstruction project to reduce operational costs and improve quality indicators (2010-2011);
It is planned to implement a project to improve the quality of diesel production (2010-2011).
A number of other, small projects aimed at increasing production capacity, improve quality indicators and lower operating costs are planned to be realized at the plant.
There are two refineries in Azerbaijan - the Heydar Aliyev Baku Oil Refinery and refinery Azneftyag. The first produces mainly light oil products, and the second one - dark ones. The total capacity of both refineries is 20 million tons of oil a year. Both refineries are part of the SOCAR, which annually process approximately 6-7 million tons of oil.