7 Sep 2010 15:59

Pavlodar petrochemicals plant to start refining Kazakh oil too in 2011

ASTANA. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Pavlodar Petrochemicals Plant in Kazakhstan is looking to start processing Kazakh oil in 2011, in addition to the Russian oil it currently refines, its General Director Shukhrat Danbai said during the presentation of a law bill concerning state regulation the oil-products market to parliament on Tuesday in Astana

"At the present time, a project is being designed for the construction of a discharge dock with capacity of 2 million tonnes of oil, which will make it possible to receive oil from Kazakh producers," Danbai said. Construction is slated to begin next year.

"Thereby, there will be diversification of the volumes of oil delivered to the Pavlodar plant, meaning that hundred-percent dependence on Russian oil will end," Danbai said, adding that Aktyubinsk oil was suitable for processing at the refinery due to its technological characteristics.

The project price tag will be $30 million, and the project itself will be implements under a state program for modernizing existing oil refineries in the republic, he said. The Pavlodar plant, currently controlled by the national company KazMunaiGas, was built in 1978. There are two other operating oil refineries in Kazakhstan.