Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 18 / Trend E.Ismayilov /
The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOCAR) intends to mount a benzene extraction facility that will be located on the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery's catalytic reforming installation to produce gasoline meeting Euro-3 ecological standards, a market source told Trend this week.
Under Euro-3 terms, the benzene content of petrol should not exceed one percent. For this purpose, SOCAR intends to go forward with the new installation, the source said.
He added that the refinery is already working to prepare a report on the plant's capacity and the activities that can be achieved to bring diesel fuel production in compliance with Euro-3 standards. In the near future, a report will be submitted to SOCAR.
A senior SOCAR representative said earlier that the project cost will be $12-$13 million.
SOCAR intends to switch to Euro-3 gasoline production in 2012. Currently, SOCAR produces Euro-2 diesel fuel.
In 2010, SOCAR produced more than 1.45 million tons of gasoline compared to 1.47 million tons in 2009.