Gazprom Neft has begun construction of a standalone 12,300-tonne-per-year-capacity hydrogen production unit at its Omsk Refinery. This processing facility will provide high-purity (99.9 percent) hydrogen for new and reconstructed hydrotreatment facilities, intended to reduce the sulphur content of motor-fuel components (blending agents). It will also eliminate hydrotreatment processes’ dependence on the rate of utilisation of catalytic reforming units (1), from which hydrogen is currently produced as a by-product.

The commissioning of a standalone hydrogen source will allow greater stability in the production of Euro-5 motor fuels, higher output of light petroleum products from the Omsk Refinery, and higher production volumes of high-octane gasolines. Implementation of the project is being implemented as part of a comprehensive modernisation programme at the Omsk Refinery being undertaken by Gazprom Neft since 2008.

The project for the new hydrogen production facility has been developed by Russian design institute Omskneftekhimproject. Gazprom Neft’s investment in construction of the facility stands at RUB3.4 billion, and the facility is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2017.

(1) Reforming is an industrial process for refining gasoline and naptha (blending) oil fractions to obtain high-performance gasolines and aromatic hydrocarbons.

About the Gazprom Neft Omsk Refinery

The Gazprom Neft Omsk Refinery, a subsidiary of Gazprom Neft, is Russia’s largest such facility by refining volumes, and one of the most cutting-edge refineries in the country. The Omsk Refinery produces in the order of 50 types of oil products, including high-octane gasolines, diesel and marine (bunkering) fuels, aviation kerosene, bitumen, household gas, heavy fuel oil (mazut), industrial sulphur, and other products in line with market demand.

Gazprom Neft has been implementing an extensive modernisation programme at its Omsk Refinery since 2008. The first stage of modernisation of the Omsk Refinery, completed in 2015, involved the construction and refurbishment of key technological facilities, allowing the business to transition to 100-percent production of Euro-5 motor fuels, improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impacts of production. The facility is now implementing the second stage of its modernisation programme, the objective of which is to improve its performance in key performance indicators to match those of global industry leaders.

New production facilities will be built at the Omsk Refinery, and existing installations refurbished in line with the latest environmental, reliability and safety requirements for all production processes. Increasing the operational effectiveness of production processes is being addressed through process improvements and the implementation of new and innovative technologies.

About Gazprom Neft

Gazprom Neft is a vertically integrated oil company primarily engaged in oil & gas exploration and production (E&P), the sale and distribution of crude oil, and the production and sale of petroleum products.

The company’s proven SPE (PRMS) hydrocarbon reserves exceed 1.2 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), placing it among the world’s 20 largest oil companies.

The company operates in many of Russia’s prominent oil and gas regions including Khanty-Mansiysk (Yugra), Omsk, Orenburg, Tomsk, and Yamalo-Nenets. Gazprom Neft’s major refining facilities are located in Moscow, Omsk, and Yaroslavl, and it also has refineries in Serbia. Apart from its upstream activities in Russia, the company is involved in international E&P, including projects in Iraq and Venezuela.