President Rustam Minnikhanov visited Jamnagar, India on 22nd of March
to develop strategic partnership with the world’s biggest oil refining
complex owned by Reliance Industries Conglomerate.
The plant situated in one of the Indian economic zones is reported to
process on average 33 million of crude oil annually which constitutes
5 percent share in world’s petroleum production.  For reference, the
Moscow Oil Refining Plant’s capacity does not exceed 10 million ton of
crude oil. The complex is operated by Reliance Industries Limited
(RIL), the largest private sector enterprise in India listed in
Fortune Global 500. RIL’s owners are Ambani family, the richest in
India. Holding 44.7 percent stake in RIL Mukesh Ambani, the company’s
chairman and a managing director, is among the world’s wealthiest and
most powerful people.
The Tatarstan delegation arrived in Jamnagar to study the advanced oil
processing technologies launched by RIL. Following the contract signed
on 14th February 2012 by the Tatar oil refining plant TAIF – NK and
American Kellogg Brown and Root to establish a Veba Combi Cracker
(VCC) technology processing unit Rustam Minnikhanov intended to
develop a hand in hand work with Indian counterparts aiming to use the
technology successfully. The Indian plant had also purchased VCC
production method and is currently developing it.
However, in spite of a great productive capacity of VCC processing
enabling to reduce the amount of heavy straight run to 5 percent and
produce light oil products even from furnace oil the VCC installation
has several significant drawbacks which challenge its efficiency
making the project troublesome and cost intensive.
Among the VCC limitations the experts list high pressure and
temperature working conditions, hydrogen production and constant
industrial gas inflow requirements. Taking into account the absence of
already functioning VCC processing units in the world, the TAIF-NK’s
decision to pioneer the project appears promising but ambiguous and
risky. “If the technology worked successfully it would be in great
demand. Otherwise, one would have to give it up”, said Rustam
Minnikhanov during the contract signing ceremony.

Photo courtesy of prav.tatarstan.ru

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