The International scientific-practical conference devoted to the development of deep processing of hydrocarbon raw materials in the Russian Federation and timed to the 10th anniversary of the TANECO project of the of Refinery and Petrochemical Plants Complex is being held in Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan).

The scientific and technical forum will be attended by Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, Nail Maganov, General Director of PJSC TATNEFT, Shafagat Takhautdinov, Assistant to President on the oil industry issues, Leonid Alekhin, General Director of JSC TANECO, heads of ministries and departments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Tatarstan, deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, representatives of the oil and gas industry, research and design institutions, oil, oil refining and petrochemical companies of Russia and Tatarstan, industry analysts of the petroleum sector.

As part of the events program, the conference participants visited the actual Refinery Complex and familiarized with the exhibition, presenting the major historical milestones of the TANECO development, as well as samples of the yielded readily marketable products.

Rustam Minnikhanov saluted the event participants with a welcome address. Erection of TANECO is one of the main events of the Tatarstan's refining sector growth. President of the Republic of Tatarstan emphasized in his speech the importance of this TATNEFT Company's strategic project aimed at increasing competitive advantages of the Republic.

Nail Maganov, General Director of PJSC TATNEFT presented a report at the plenary session on the progress of implementing the largest federal project in the refining sector: TANECO Complex construction. He briefed the audience on the construction stages. According to General Director of PJSC TATNEFT the first phase of constructing the refinery aimed at the production of highly marketable and eco-friendly products of deep oil conversion fell within the country's economic crisis years. TANECO became the anti-crisis project and provided a synergistic effect on many sectors of the national economy. Large orders were placed with domestic machine building, construction and metallurgy enterprises.

The start of the TANECO's commercial operation allowed Tatarstan to occupy then sixth place among the leading oil refining regions of the Russian Federation. The most modern foreign and domestic engineering developments and technologies were used during the Complex construction. Overall, since the very start the project was focused on domestic manufacturers, which number amounted to about two thousand enterprises. This strategy has convincingly proved the effectiveness of policies aimed at the import substitution.

Nail Maganov emphasized that the engineering concept of the TANECO's facilities allowed implementing high standards of environmental protection. The Project's sustainability has been highly appreciated by the Committee on Ecology of the Russian Federation's State Duma and there are plans of fixing the approach to the solution of environmental issues at the legislative level.

General Director of PJSC TATNEFT cited in his speech the Complex operation data as of today: the amount of 31 million tonnes of crude oil was processed bringing the refining capacity to 115% of the rated value with the plans providing for processing of 9 million tonnes of the refinery feedstock by the end of 2015.

Currently, the project implementation is being continued. The plans provide for completion of comprehensive testing of a delayed coking unit by the end of the year. Commissioning of the delayed coking unit, naphtha hydrotreatment and heavy coker gasoil hydrotreatment units will allow stopping production of fuel oil, increasing the conversion depth of oil refining up to 95% and the yield of light products up to 80%. The use of coke as fuel for the Nizhnekamsk CHP plant will allow forming a single waste-free cycle of the own energy generation.

Commissioning of the catalytic reforming and isomerization process, as well as related off-site facilities is scheduled for the second half of 2016. The complex will begin producing motor gasoline grades Regular-92 and Premium-95 of the Euro-5 environmental standard.

Looking forward, the plans provide for increasing the refining capacity up to 14 million tonnes of crude oil. Work has already been started on the complex second stage CDU/VDU-6 construction and its commissioning is scheduled for early 2018. As the Company's General Director said, it means that almost half of the annually produced hydrocarbons in the Republic will be converted into readily marketable finished products.

Concluding his speech, Nail Maganov pointed out that projects like TANECO are the engine of economic diversification, basis for new competitive industries, points of growth of human capital, not only for individual companies or a separate republic, but also for entire regions, and they contribute to the achievement of economic and national security of the whole country.

The reports were also presented by David Wadsworth, Commercial Director of 'Chevron Lummus Global', Boris Petrov, Head of the Volga Section of Rostechnadzor Management, Vladimir Kapustin, General Director of JSC 'VNIPIneft' and Alexander Babynin, General Director of 'Orgneftekhim-Holding'. In the plenary session

The International Scientific and Practical conference will be an effective platform for the exchange of experience in implementing high-performance technologies, discussing current issues and future prospects of developing crude oil refining in Russia. As part of the two-day operation the forum will discuss technological and economic issues of the oil refining and related industries; directions and prospects of development of the modern Russian science and industry, etc. The forum participants will examine new trends in legislation related to industrial and environmental safety in the workplace, as well as the provided State incentive measures to stimulate the deep conversion projects and other relevant industry issues.

The conference work will be held in the following sections: 'Implementation of projects in Russia and the CIS'; 'Overview of the largest projects in the oil refining industry at various stages of planning and implementation'; 'On the directions of further development of the industry's educational system and implementation of the state policy on creating resource centers in the Kama industrial cluster'; 'Features of project management in the Russian Federation and ensuring industrial safety requirements in the implementation of projects in the oil industry'; 'New solutions in the supply of domestic equipment, catalysts, and development of Russian technologies'; 'Tax, financial and investment factors in the implementation of projects in the petroleum refining industry.'

The conference plans envisage presentations of OOO 'InfoTEK-CONSULT', JSC 'Tatneftekhiminvest Holding', OOO 'HALDOR Topse', Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis n.a. Topchiev of the Russian Academy of Science; VNII NP, JSC Gazprom Neft', PJSC 'Bashneft', UOP Limited, OOO 'LUKOIL - Nizhny Novgorod Research and Design Institute of Oil Refining' KNITU of the Moscow Oil and Gas Center of the 'Ernst & Young» (EY) Company etc.

distributed by