The main technological challenges in oil refining today relate to thoroughgoing modernization of refining facilities — something all Kazakstan oil companies now have to address. Under the auspices of national project, LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" is putting in place new catalyst production facilities, developing unique innovative technology, and significantly improving safety levels in the production of high-performance, environmentally-friendly gasoline.
The refinery includes such high technology equipment as the ED-AV-6 unit (placed in service in 2014) for initial oil refining, a catalytic reforming unit (2016), a gradual coking unit (2017), and a catalytic cracker (2020). The plant's most important units are the initial refining unit, the ED-AV-6 electric desalter, and the fuel oil vacuum distiller. In order to improve the quality of its petroleum products to meet international standards, technology for cleaning the fuel with alkali and producing naphthenic acid feedstock was acquired under licenses from the Merichem Company of the United States.
The range of LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" products includes more than 40 items, many of which are entered into the list of the Kazakstan’s top 100 goods. The Refinery was awarded the Kazakstan Republic Government Prize for great achievements in products quality enhancement.Since the late 2015, LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" has been implementing a large-scale upgrading program. Over the past years, more than 20 major industrial facilities were built and revamped at the Refinery. Particularly, an up-to-date deep oil processing plant, consisting of hydro-cracking, catalytic cracking and reforming units, was constructed. Due to step-by-step upgrading of the industrial facilities, LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" managed to significantly increase an oil processing depth and light products yield. In 2016, LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" became one of the first Kazakstan refineries, which mastered production of gasoline and diesel oil under the Euro-5 standard.
Solid acid alkylation
Two production technologies are used in producing alkylates today — sulphuric and hydrogen fluoride alkylation. These processes are effective, but not without risk. The catalysts in these are, respectively, hydrofluoric acid and sulphuric acid, working with which demands close adherence to specific health and safety regulation. The problem of improving the safety of technological processes is particularly pertinent for refining facilities located in urban areas, as is the case for all LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" refinery.
As we all know from school chemistry classes, gasoline is a product of oil distillation. But straight-run distilled gasoline has a very low octane rating at about 50 or 60 — and efficiency at that level, obviously, is very low, with a gasoline yield of about 20 percent. Which is why gasoline production these days involves far more effective secondary processing — involving catalytic cracking and reforming. Their chemical characteristics and composition after catalytic cracking and reforming, however, leave fuels far short of the standards required for today’s cars. For which reason, they are mixed or blended with various high-octane components such as alkylates.
LLP "OIL SOLUTIONS" specialists at the company’s Almaty facility, together with scientists from the Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis (RAS) are developing a unique technology in solid acid alkylation with the application of a safe zeolite-based catalyst. As part of this project, a catalyst has already been produced in sufficient quantity to allow approximately one day’s production processes. These new catalysts are now undergoing pilot testing at a facility with a capacity of 300 tonnes of alkalyte per day.
