Rompetrol Rafinare, investment of USD 53 million in a new coker unit

Bucharest - 08 august 2013 - Rompetrol Rafinare, a member company of The Rompetrol Group has completed the revamp of the coker unit within Petromidia Refinery, following an investment of about USD 53 million. The investment will provide the unit operation at high standards of performance in accordance with the assumed commitments on environmental compliance.

„Revamping the coker unit is a part of The Rompetrol Group’s and its Sole Shareholder KazMunayGas strategy related to the alignment of Petromidia Refinery’s technological processes and facilities to the European quality standards. Investments in technologies and environment on Petromidia platform increased for the last five years up to USD 600 million and the modernization coker project determined the achieving high technological flow performance by increasing its effectiveness”, Sorin Graure said, the General Director of the company Rompetrol Rafinare.

Developed in partnership with Rominserv (the general contractor of The Rompetrol Group) and ConocoPhillips (one of the leaders of the international oil sector), unit revamp began in 2008 and benefited from the American company both technology and basic engineering and consulting. Its construction and start-up took place in the period 2010 – 2013.

The updating process determined a 90% reduction of technological consumption, an annually decrease of technological losses by USD 3 million, as well as a significant reduction of energy consumption. At the same time, such updating will provide the increase of the reliability and safety level of the unit and the protection level of the employees of Petromidia platform.

With a capacity of 1.17 million tons per year, the coker unit will provide s superior processing of the vacuum residue derived from vacuum distillation to obtain integrated products such as: gas, gasoline, light gasoil, heavy gasoil and coke.

As the result of total investments of USD 1.3 billion supported by The Rompetrol Group in the period 2007 – 2012, Petromidia Refinery increased its production capacity up to 14,000 tons per day, the maximum volume being reached in May – June, 2013.

Rompetrol Rafinare recorded in 2012 a consolidated gross turnover of USD 4.6 billion and an operating result (EBITDA) of USD 76.8 million. The Company has reduced the net loss by 60% in the first quarter of 2013 as compared to the same period of 2011 and registered a net turnover of USD 728.4 million during the first three months of this year.

The Rompetrol Group is integrally owned by the National Oil&Gas Company from the Republic of Kazakhstan ­– KazMunayGas and is present in 12 countries, with the majority of its assets and operations in France, Romania, Spain and South-East Europe.

Public Relations and Communication Department
The Rompetrol Group

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