Refining Report Siberian company starts up modular refinery

Lukoil subsidiary Uraineftegas has started up Siberia's first modular refinery in Urai, Tyumen region. The 2,000 b/d plant processes Urai crude (photo courtesy Ventech Engineers Inc.).

Uraineftegas, a subsidiary of Russian oil giant Lukoil, has started up Siberia's first modular crude distillation unit.

The 2,000 b/d refinery was designed and manufactured by Ventech Engineers Inc., Pasadena, Tex.

Uraineftegas is based in Urai, Siberia. Located in the Tyumen region on the Konda river, the remote town is accessible only by air and water.

The town of 40,000 was built some 30 years ago to support production of Urai crude. The nearest refineries, at Ufa and Omsk, are about 500 miles away.

Most of Urai's crude production-about 50,000 b/d, according to Ventech president Bill Stanley-is shipped by pipeline to the refining centers at Ufa and Omsk. Because there are no products pipelines in which to ship fuels back to Urai, the town needed a small refinery in order to produce its own fuels.

Products

Uraineftegas' crude unit will supply naphtha, kerosine, diesel, and fuel oil for the town's residents and businesses. The refinery was designed to process Urai crude.

This high-quality oil will produce about 28% naphtha, 27% middle distillates, and 45% resid, says Stanley. Table 1 [11866 bytes] lists Urai crude's basic refining qualities.

This summer, Uraineftegas will start up another Ventech unit-a modular naphtha hydrotreater and catalytic reformer. With this addition, the refinery will be able to meet local demand for unleaded gasoline.

The gasoline produced by the 640 b/d reformer will be Russia's A-93 grade, equivalent to an octane rating of 89 (R+M)/2.

Modular design

Modular refineries such as this one are particularly suited for use in remote locations. Stanley says the economics for these units become favorable when a production site is about 500 miles from the nearest refinery.

Modularization shortens lead times and dai, however, lengthened the process there.

Totally enclosed process modules contain pumps and heat exchangers. The addition of insulation, as shown in the cover photo, enables the units to withstand the fierce Siberian winters.

The Urai refinery modules are designed to endure temperatures as low as 267^o F (255^o C.). When operating, the modules retain enough heat to ensure operability. When the unit is shut down, electric heaters maintain the temperature inside the module.

Similarly, the instrument housings attached to the outside of the modules contain internal thermostats and heaters that maintain temperatures at 50-60^o F.

Fig. 1 [75862 bytes] shows the layout of a typical modular refinery.

The towers, heaters, and modules are shipped to the construction site, ready to erect. With the exception of foundations and piperacks, all materials needed to construct the refinery are supplied, as are detailed engineering drawings.

Ventech also supplies any ancillary equipment needed to operate the refinery, including boilers, desalters, generators, compressors, and cooling towers.

Operating license

Ventech has designed and built similar units for other locations in Russia. Its first modular plant constructed in Russia was a 6,000 b/d topping unit purchased by Krasnoleninskneftegas, which is now known as Kondpetroleum (OGJ, June 15, 1992, p. 25).

In order to facilitate its business in the region, Ventech opened an office in Moscow and obtained a license from Gosgortekhnadzor, Russia's refinery inspectorate. The license enables the company to design and construct modular refineries in the C.I.S.

To obtain the license, Ventech was required to supply a great deal of information, including:

Piping and instrument diagrams
Engineering specifications
U.S. refining standards
Past project records
Ownership verification
Employee qualifications
Quality program outlines.

Stanley says his company is the first Western company to be licensed by Gosgortekhnadzor to design and construct modular refineries.

Kogalym units

Another Lukoil subsidiary, Kogalymneftegas, has ordered a modular distillate hydrotreater and catalytic reformer from Ventech. The 3,000 b/d hydrotreater and 850 b/d reformer are to be started in the Spring of 1997, says Stanley.

The hydrotreater will process a combination of naphtha and distillate. The technology is licensed by a Russian engineering firm called Petrotekh Scientific Production Co., St. Petersburg.

The unit will use a monometallic reforming catalyst. Stanley says this catalyst is more readily available in Russia, and is more forgiving, in terms of operating flexibility.