Gazprom Neft has begun construction of a hydroisodewaxing complex at its Omsk lubricants plant. This complex will produce base oils for high-tech synthetic lubricants used on modern automotive equipment and industrial machinery, allowing the company to free itself completely from using imported base oils in producing premium product lines. The facility has a design capacity of 220,000 tonnes per year. Gazprom Neft’s investment in this project stands at more than RUB32 billion.

Image source: Gazprom Neft

Construction of the hydroisodewaxing complex is being synchronised with the planned development of Gazprom Neft’s Omsk Refinery. Feedstocks for production of Group II- and Group III-quality base oils will be supplied from the hydrocracking unit at the deep refining complex due to be commissioned at the Omsk Refinery in 2021. This solution integrates production of synthetic base oils into a single process chain, facilitating additional output of products in considerable demand on the market while further increasing refining depth (the “conversion factor”) at the Omsk Refinery. The new complex will further expand the premium G-Energy- and Gazpromneft synthetic lubricants product ranges, expected to increase Gazprom Neft’s market share in packaged lubricants on the Russian market to 25%.

The hydroisodewaxing complex has been designed around cutting-edge technological and environmentally-friendly solutions. Equipment for the future facility is being produced by leading Russian enterprises Volgogradneftemash (Volgograd) and Uralhimmash (Ekaterinburg). 

Anatoly Cherner Deputy CEO for Logistics, Processing and Sales, Gazprom Neft, commented:
“This new complex will be able to meet demand for those high-tech feedstocks essential in producing advanced synthetic lubricants, across all of our plants. Replacing imported alternatives with our own Group II and Group III base oils will allow us to cut the cost of ready-to-use motor oils, while improving their competitiveness. Apart from which, the new complex will allow us to expand our premium G-Energy and Gazpromneft synthetic-lubricants ranges.”

KeyFacts Energy: Gazprom Russia country profile