Modernization of oil refineries as the basis for the development of the Russian oil refining industry in the period of 2010–2020

Abstract

Ways of developing and modernizing Russian oil refineries are considered on the basis of an analysis of the presentations of Russian and foreign companies at the 10th Russian and CIS Refining Technology Conference (RRTC) held by Euro Petroleum Consultants in Moscow on September 23–24, 2010. It is shown that the main trends in the development of the Russian oil refining industry with the purpose of overcoming the current economic crisis are the rational use of production facilities, the modernization of existing plants to increase the depth of processing and the profitability of production, satisfying the growing demand for motor fuels (especially diesel) and improving their quality to meet the parameters of eurostandards, increasing the conversion of the processing of oil at oil refineries, reducing the consumption of energy, and improving the process control and optimization systems at existing plants to increase their efficiency and minimize the environmental risks in operating plants. The development of hydrogenation processes that allow the synthesis of high-quality products from cheap sour crude oil or the qualified preparation of raw materials for the process of catalytic cracking must now become the main direction of oil refining in Russia and CIS countries. Oil residue processing technologies (e.g., hydrogenation processes, catalytic cracking, new and improved catalysts for hydrocracking, catalytic cracking, hydrotreatment of heavy oil residues; and hydrogen synthesis technologies) are discussed.