Институт национальной энергетики

In 2008 the Board of Directors of Gazprom approved the Strategy of gas-processing complex development and charged the Board to organize work on its realization.

The main tasks, which face the company within the limits of this direction, are the maximum extraction of valuable components from extracted raw materials and their processing in production with high added cost, increase of economic efficiency and ecological safety of the enterprises. For their solving Gazprom is actively engaged in reconstruction and modernization of operating factories and also works over creation of new capacities for escalating of depth of processing of hydrocarbon raw materials.

Operating capacities

Besides Gazprom Oil and Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, six enterprises in Gazprom Group are engaged in processing of hydrocarbons. They are Gazprom Extraction Astrakhan, Gazprom Extraction Orenburg, Gazprom Extraction Krasnodar, Gazprom Extraction Yamburg and Gazprom Processing, as well as Vostokgazprom. Their processing manufactures are connected with extraction capacities and make a uniform technological chain with them. Total productivity of these enterprises for preparation and raw materials processing makes an order of 52.5 billion cubic meters of gas and 28.8 million tons of unstable gas condensate and oil in a year. An order of 7 % of all gas is processed now on the given capacities, as well as practically all liquid hydrocarbons extracted by Gazprom (without taking into account Gazprom Oil). In 2010 the total amount of processing of blue fuel at the mentioned enterprises reached 33.6 billion cubic meters, oil and unstable gas condensate – 12.3 million tons. During the processing (besides clearing, deep drying and preparations of raw materials for transport) hydrocarbon fractions and not hydrocarbon components are liberated from natural gas. Motor fuel, oil and aviation fuel are made of oil and condensate. As a result Gazprom receives wide assortment of products of processing: liquefied hydrocarbon gases, ethane, sulfur, gaseous helium, odorant, carbon and mineral oil (see table 1).

TABLE 1:

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Processing enterprises of Gazprom are the difficult hi-tech complexes combining capacities on primary processing of raw materials and chemical manufactures, based on processes of deep processing. Their further development is defined by variety of the important and actual for today factors.

Preconditions for development

Necessity for reconstruction and modernization and also creation of new capacities for development of a processing complex of Gazprom Group are defined by several factors. First of all, it is new requirements to quality of motor, boiler oil and aviation fuel in the Russian market. So, at the moment petrol and diesel oil, developed in Gazprom mainly on Astrakhan gas processing plant and Surgut factory on condensate stabilization, correspond to the norms class-3, which expire this year. Therefore the enterprises of Gazprom carry out investment projects, which will allow upgrading quality of the produced production in the terms defined by Technical regulations to corresponding standards (in this case — class-5 since 2015). First of all it is a question of decrease of hydrogen sulfide content in mineral oil to 10 mg/kg, increase of octane number of petrol to 95, cetane number of diesel fuel — to 51 points and also reduction of volume fraction of benzol in petrol to 1 %.

In the world power market it is observed in parallel with it displacement of the center of competition from raw materials deliveries in the area of commodity oil-gas chemistry production distribution. And, accordingly, it is necessary reorientation from fuel direction of raw materials usage on chemical that will allow increasing considerably profit of Gazprom Group at the expense of realization of products of processing of higher repartition.

Besides, perfection and expansion of capacities of the processing complex assume actually plans for development of domestic gas branch. So, by 2015 Gazprom expects considerable growth of extraction of liquid hydrocarbons in Western Siberia that demands not only escalating of productivity of the operating processing enterprises and increase in throughput of transport system for trouble-free work of the gas complex but also creation of new capacities. The subsequent prospects of development of the branch, including plans of creation of the new centers of gas extraction in the east of Russia and shelf projects are connected with input in working out of deposits with multicomponent structure of stratum mixes that defines necessity of creation of large processing and gas-chemistry manufactures in parallel with their development.

Today the basic volume of processing of hydrocarbon raw materials of Gazprom accounts for the Astrakhan gas-processing factory, Orenburg gas-processing factory and Orenburg helium factory and also the enterprises, which are a part of Gazprom Processing — Sosnogorsk gas-processing factory, Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport and Surgut factory on condensate stabilization. The basic prospects of development are connected with these enterprises of gas-processing and gas-chemistry complex of Gazprom, at least on the near future.

Astrakhan gas-processing factory

This factory is a structural division of Gazprom Extraction Astrakhan. Processing of sour gas and gas condensate of Astrakhan gas condensate deposits is carried out at the enterprise in commodity output: sulfur (liquid, lump and granulated), petrol, diesel fuel, boiler fuel and industrial butane, a mixture of propane-butane and tank gas. Astrakhan gas-processing factory is the world’s largest manufacturer of sulfur, which is delivered both on home market and for export. Productivity of the factory on gas processing makes 12 billion cubic meters, a stable gas condensate — 3 million tons, long distillate of light hydrocarbons — 500 thousand tons in a year. Capacity of the gas-processing factory on condensate stabilization is 7.3 million tons. Now loading of technological plants of the enterprise is equal or exceeds design performance, except for manufacture on condensate processing.

Astrakhan gas-processing factory is completely provided by gas raw materials till 2030 at the expense of the volumes extracted on Astrakhan gas-condensate field. And here the raw-material base on gas condensate will correspond to design requirements only to 2015 and to 2030 the volume of its processing will decrease approximately to 2 million tons in a year. However in the long term capacities on manufacture of motor fuels can be provided by additional raw materials thanks to development of new areas of east part within Astrakhan gas-condensate field.

Within the limits of the Complex program of Gazprom on reconstruction and modernization of objects of processing of gas and liquid hydrocarbons for 2011-2015 it is planned to realize more than ten investment projects on Astrakhan gas-processing factory. So, for adjusting of motor fuels in accordance with Technical regulations, it is planned to carry out reconstruction of the first and the second turns of the factory as a uniform industrial complex and also to expand capacities on gas condensate processing. In particular, reconstruction of installations of primary processing of liquid hydrocarbons and hydrofining of diesel fraction will be carried out. There will be constructed new capacities, including the plants of low-temperature isomerization by productivity of 300 thousand tons in a year on raw materials and hydrofining of wide petrol fraction by capacity of 2 million tons. For maintenance of transition to release of diesel fuel class-5 it is planned to modernize plants of hydrofining of diesel fuel. For the purpose of increase in depth of processing it is planned to create manufacture on processing of high-sulfur residual oil with use of destruction processes that will allow receiving annually in addition to 200 thousand tons of light oil products — a component of commercial gasoline and light gas oil. It is also considered possibility of commercial bitumen manufacture organization. It will be introduced the gathering system of compression and processing of low-pressure gases for involving not used valuable components of raw materials (ethane, propane, butanes) in processing. Besides it, it is planned building of a complex on release of polyethylene by annual capacity of 500 thousand tons that will allow increasing seriously depth of processing and assortment of production of Astrakhan gas–processing factory and on the basis of pyrolysis product — propylene – it is possible creation of a manufacture on development of high-octane component of finished gasoline — diisopropyl ether that will allow refusing purchase of the expensive methyl-tert-butyl ether.

It is expected that current year Gazprom Extraction Astrakhan will process more than 12 billion cubic meters of gas and an order of 4.18 million tons of condensate. Practically the same volumes are predicted for the enterprise for 2014. Meanwhile, it is supposed that as a result of realization of the planned investment projects manufacture of automobile petrol of Astrakhan gas-processing factory will increase from 956.9 thousand tons this year to 1.25 million tons in 2014, and diesel fuel — from 755.9 to 947 thousand tons.

Gazprom Extraction Orenburg

The structure of this enterprise includes at once two powerful processing complexes — Orenburg gas-processing factory and Orenburg helium factory, thanks to which Gazprom Extraction Orenburg is one of the largest manufacturers of separate kinds of gas-chemical production (for example, a share of Orenburg ethane in total amount of its manufacture in Russia makes almost 80 %, liquefied hydrocarbon gas — to 24 %, sulfur — 19 %) and the only one manufacturer of helium and odorant in our country. There are raw gas scrubbing and condensate stabilization on capacities of Orenburg gas-processing factory. Annual productivity of the factory on processing makes 37.5 billion cubic meters of gas and 6.2 million tons of condensate. Production of a gas-processing factory are dry tank gas, a stable gas condensate, liquefied hydrocarbon gas, long distillate of light hydrocarbons, sulfur (liquid, lump and granulated) and odorant. The helium factory is intended for production of target components and also cleaning of natural gas from sour sulfur with simultaneous deep drying. Productivity of the enterprise for processing is 15 billion cubic meters a year. The factory’s end production is dry tank gas, gaseous helium and ethane, long distillate of light hydrocarbons, liquefied hydrocarbon gas and pentane-hexane fraction.

Basis of a raw-material base for Orenburg processing enterprises of Gazprom is Orenburg oil-and- gas condensate deposit, which provides until recently annual delivery to the factories of an order of 18 billion cubic meters of gas and to 500 thousand tons of liquid hydrocarbons and also Kazakhstan Karachaganaksky oil-and- gas condensate deposit (more than 8 млрд cubic meters of gas and 2 million tons of condensate). About 650 thousand tons of oil was directed for processing by other companies mastering deposits in Orenburg region. Meanwhile, the main prospects of development of the processing complex of Gazprom Extraction Orenburg are connected mainly with escalating of deliveries of raw materials from Karachaganaksky deposit. And plans on reconstruction and modernization for 2011-2015 do not concede processing capacities on the scope to the program of development of Astrakhan gas-processing factory.

First of all, it is a question of modernization of all three operating turns of Orenburg gas processing factory, which assumes replacement of worn out and old-fashion equipment and also reconstruction of technological objects for annual reception of 9 billion cubic meters of karachaganaksky gas for processing for the purpose of escalating of productivity of available plants, improvement of quality of produced production and diversification. Then it is planned to carry out reconstruction and escalating of productivity of the gas processing factory for increase of karachaganaksky gas processing to 16 billion cubic meters a year (subject to guarantees of deliveries of raw materials from the Kazakhstan party) and also to increase depth of the gas processing factory processing for liberation of ethane and long distillate of light hydrocarbons from natural gas (besides, in coordination with the Kazakh partners).

In parallel is planned reconstruction and modernization of all three turns of the helium factory, developments directed on increase of ethane and long distillate of light hydrocarbons, modernization of the plant on long distillate of light hydrocarbons fractionation for upgrading to the European quality standards and expansions of export potential of the enterprise. Besides, it is supposed to create in Orenburg a complex on development of synthetic fuel for fine-tuning of building and technological decisions by manufacture of synthetic fuel from natural gas for the purpose of reduction of capital expenses at large-capacity manufactures construction.

This year the volume of processing of Gazprom Extraction Orenburg should make not less than 17.96 billion cubic meters of gas, 240 thousand tons of condensate and an order of 701.6 thousand tons of oil. According to the forecast for 2014, «guaranteed» volume of processing of gas will not exceed 16.5 billion cubic meters and 200 thousand tons of condensate. Thus oil refining level will grow to more than 1.3 million tons. At the same time helium release in Orenburg will increase from 3.64 million cubic meters current year to 4.3 million cubic meters.

Gazprom processing

There are at once three enterprises under control of this «daughter» of Gazprom — Surgut factory on condensate stabilization, Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport and Sosnogorsk gas processing factory. The first two factories make the Western-Siberian processing complex including capacities of Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport on deethanization and preparation of a condensate extracted in the region for transportation, condensate line Urengoy — Surgut and also capacities on stabilization of condensate and processing of liquid hydrocarbons of Surgut factory on condensate stabilization. Productivity of the factory on preparation of condensate for transport makes 13.9 million tons of unstable gas condensate in a year. The factory produces, besides deethanized condensate, petrol, diesel fuel, liquefied carbureted hydrogen gas, fuel for jet engines TS-1, distillate of gas condensate light and dry gas of deethanization. The condensate from Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport goes for further processing on Surgut factory on condensate stabilization on condensate line Urengoj — Surgut (throughput is 9.5 million tons in a year) in which oil of the Urengoj deposit also arrives. Annual production rate of Surgut factory on condensate stabilization makes 8 million tons, on processing of stable condensate — 4 million tons. The end production of the enterprise, besides stable gas condensate is automobile gasoline, diesel fuel, liquefied carbureted hydrogen gas, distillate of light gas condensate, pentane-hexane fraction, and also fuel for jet engines TS-1.

In immediate prospects it is expected commissioning of new objects of extraction of hydrocarbons in Western Siberia, including valanzhynsky and achimovsky deposits. Their production will arrive also on Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport and in condensate line Urengoj — Surgut. Volumes of manufacture of raw materials can considerably exceed productivity of the Western-Siberian processing complex. Therefore today active work is conducted on expansion of manufactures of Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport and Surgut factory on condensate stabilization and on increase in throughput of the main Urengoj — Surgut in which result annual productivity of the condensate line will grow to 13.6 million tons and Surgut factory on condensate stabilization — to 12 million tons. In addition the region conducted building of new capacities on stabilization of condensate and processing of liquid hydrocarbons within the limits of creation of Novourengoj gas-chemistry complex.

Building of the plant on deethanization gases preparation, which annual output next years can exceed 1 billion cubic meters becomes the basic investment project of Urengoj factory on preparation of condensate for transport in 2011-2015. It will allow organizing raw materials transportation in a single-phase mode on Novourengoj gas-chemistry complex and also to lower risks of deterioration of tank gas at delivery of deethanization gas in the main gas pipeline during stops of capacities of the new gas-chemical complex, which is under construction around Novy Urengoj.

The investment program of Surgut factory on condensate stabilization for the same period includes variety of projects including building of new plants on condensate stabilization (for expansion of possibilities on reception of additional volume of raw materials to 12 million tons in a year), capacities of cleanup of propane fractions from methanol with the block of marketable product drying (for upgrading of liquefied carbureted hydrogen gas quality to export level), the plants on easy petrol fraction isomerization with potential output of isomerization blocks and hydro isomerization in 350 and 150 thousand tons in a year accordingly (for reception of additional volumes of petrol of the Class 4 and 5) and the plants on heavy charge processing (for increase of depth of processing of raw materials). Besides it, it is supposed modernization of capacities of the factory for possibility of transition to release of aviation fuel Jet A-1 and processing of oil and gas condensate mixes with high content of paraffin hydrocarbons.

The main target of Sosnogorsk gas-processing factory, located in Komi, is processing of natural gas and oil and gas condensate mixes of Vuktylsky gas-condensate field. Its productivity makes 3 billion cubic meters of gas and 1.25 million tons of unstable condensate in a year. The factory end production is dry commodity gas, liquefied carbureted hydrogen gas, stable condensate, petrol, methanol and carbon.

In the near future there will be substantial growth of a share of heavy oil in the structure of raw deliveries of the factory. Therefore prospects of development of the enterprise are connected with the reconstruction directed on adaptation to these changes of capacities. First of all, it is a question of increase in depth of processing of raw materials, expansion of assortment of the produced production and increase of operating efficiency of the factory.

Besides, now negotiations are carried on for organization of deliveries of casing-head oil gas from LUKOIL deposits to Sosnogorsk gas-processing factory. The scheme of realization of the project provides reshaping of existing gas pipeline of Tyumen gas Vyktyl — Pechora for transportation of casing-head oil gas by reverse motion and also building of a tap from the main gas pipeline Bovanenkovo — Ukhta to the Pechora state district power station.

As a result of realization of the planned investment projects Gazprom processing plans to increase processing of gas condensate from 7.069 million tons current year to almost 10.5 million tons in 2014, oil — from 371.3 to 839.6 thousand tons. During the same period manufacture of long distillate of light hydrocarbons will grow from 608.2 thousand tons to 1.85 million tons, aviation fuel — from 166 to 227 thousand tons, pentane-hexane fractions — from 49.8 to 86 thousand tons.

Creation of new manufactures

Development of processing sector of Gazprom is not limited only to modernization and expansion of operating manufactures and assumes creation of new capacities, both in traditional regions of activity and in the new territories. So, already mentioned construction project of Novourengoj factory on condensate stabilization in Western Siberia is directed on the maximum extraction and an effective utilization of valuable components of natural gas and associated gas and also their further processing in cash-equivalent production with high added cost. Probably it will be annually processed 1.5-2.2 billion cubic meters of gas raw materials at the factory (depending on content of ethane in it) and it will be made up to 400 thousand tons of high pressure polyethylene.

The frames of the East program consider possibilities of creation of new  oil-and-gas processing capacities and gas-chemistry complexes in the Eastern Siberia and in the Far East — around the settlement Boguchany (Krasnoyarsk region) and also near the cities Sayansk (Irkutsk region), Blagoveshchensk (Amur region) and Vladivostok (Primorsky Region). The targets and problems of these projects are directed both on processing of raw materials with release of helium, production of motor fuels, liquefied natural gas and raw materials for gas chemistry processes and on development of cash-equivalent production of gas-chemistry — polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, carbamide, methanol, mono ethylene glycol and so on.