SOCAR plans to start construction of crude oil distillation unit at oil refinery in 2020

Construction of the new ELOU-AVT (crude distillation unit) as part of the project of modernization and reconstruction of the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery is scheduled for early 2020, Report informs citing the project manager, Nihal Allahverdiyev, who spoke during the press tour organized at the refinery.

He said the unit construction is planned within 44 months.

"The selection is currently held among two contractors (EPC - engineering, projection and construction) on the new unit with the annual production capacity of 7.5 mln tonnes. Proposals were made relying upon the basic project and they will be considered with the participation of Wood, the company managing the project. The contractor will be selected by the end of the year and the EPC works are to start from the beginning of the next year."

Notably, the previous strategy envisaged reconstruction of the crude oil distillation unit with the capacity of 6,000,000 tonnes at the Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery, dismounting and transfer of the unit with the production capaicty of 2,000,000 tonnes from Azerneftyag to Heydar Aliyev Oil Refinery to bring its capacities to 7.5 mln tonnes. By results of the studies, the construction of a new unit turned more profitable than the works for reconstruction and transfer. The annual capacity of the new unit is to make 7.5 mln tonnes.