China-Kazakhstan oil refinery put into operation

Petrokazakhstan Oil Products LLP, a former Shymkent oil refinery, and joint venture between China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and KazMunaiGas, has gone through its first phase of modernization and was put into operation on Friday.

The gasoline and diesel produced on the first day was in accordance with the Euro IV and V standards respectively, according to a press release from CNPC on Friday.

Located in the Sayramskiy region of Kazakhstan, the refinery has currently undergone a modernization to upgrade the site's processing performance to six million tons of fuel per year.

The modernization, initiated in January 2014, was designed to expand the product slate by producing petrochemicals – including polypropylene, benzene and elemental sulfur – while reducing the output of effluent discharge, CNPC stated in the press release.

According to the release, the first phase of modernization was on raising the standard of fuel and the second phase was on raising production capacity.

The refinery produced various grades of petrol, diesel, aviation kerosene, liquid gas, vacuum gas oil and fuel oil.

D. Tiesov, senior vice president of Oil and Gas Refining department of the refinery, said the project, another project of China-Kazakhstan energy cooperation, would not only help ease the supply of high standard gasoline and diesel in the country, but to also reduce the pollutant caused by poor quality fuel.

He added the general contractor of the project was China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation of CNPC, which has become one of the largest engineering and construction companies in the oil and gas industry.

Chinese and Kazakh enterprises, along with financial institutions, have signed at least 24 deals worth more than $8 billion during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Kazakhstan in early June.