Maxim Novikov: ‘We have mastered the process of truly advanced oil refining’

More than 180 companies

The official opening of the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum and TatOilExpo 2023 exhibition was scheduled for 8 a.m. on the last day of summer. However, more than an hour before that, the pavilion of the Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre was bustling with business activity: meetings, negotiations, exchange of views and contacts, promises to pay a visit to the production facilities of potential partners in the very near future and invitations to return visits... There could be no doubt that not just a forum was starting on the Tatarstan land, but a long-awaited and in-demand event. This was confirmed from the stage by the rais of Tatarstan.

“For 30 years, on the eve of the celebration of Day of Oil and Gas Industry Workers, our republic becomes the centre of a major international forum of the oil and gas industry. Today, our dear guests from the Republic of Belarus, Bahrain, Guinea, Cameroon, China, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and a number of other countries are among the participants of the event. I would like to thank you for visiting Tatarstan and participating in our forum. I am sure that open interaction, exchange of opinions and best practices will give a new impetus to the development of our friendly ties. The specialised exhibition is attended by more than 180 leading industry companies representing 27 regions of the Russian Federation and a number of foreign countries. I am sure that the forum platform will become an effective tool for continuing mutually beneficial cooperation, establishing new business contacts, joining efforts to overcome the consequences of the crisis in the global economy," Rustam Minnikhanov stressed in his welcoming speech.

Yang Tongxian, the deputy mayor of the People's Government of Dongying city, one of the largest centers of oil production and refining of China, is also confident that the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum will give an additional impetus to cooperation between Russia and China.

“The Republic of Tatarstan is rich in oil and gas resources, has a powerful industrial base, and is similar in economy to the city of Dongying. Both sides have a large base for cooperation. The Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum and the TatOilExpo 2023 International Exhibition are well-known events in the field of oil and gas in Russia, which are an important platform for international exchange and cooperation. We will definitely use the opportunities of the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum to strengthen our common path to deepen cooperation in the field of fuel and energy, to create a better future," he stressed.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Pyotr Parkhomchik, Chairman of the Council of the Union of Oil and Gas Industrialists of Russia Yury Shafranik and other officials taking part in the opening of the forum also spoke about the same from the stage. Minister of Oil and Ecology of the Kingdom of Bahrain Dr. Mohammed bin Mubarak bin Dain and Deputy Minister of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan Askhat Khasenov were also among those who pressed a symbolic button to officially launch the site.

Maximising the use of mineral wealth

One of the central places of the exhibition was traditionally allocated to the stand of TAIF-NK JSC, by the way, which was one of the sponsors of the event held under the patronage of the rais of Tatarstan. He attracted attention from afar, and therefore it is no wonder that it was to him that a delegation of distinguished guests approached one of the first during the tour.

“One of the key tasks of our production is a thrifty attitude to the resources of our republic and the most efficient use of mineral resources, such as oil. At the moment, we have already reached the level of selection of light petroleum products at an average annual rate of 88%. In some months, this figure exceeds 90%. We have mastered and are now steadily operating the technology of high convertion of heavy residues. The Nelson complexity index, which characterises the complexity of the technological process, is 11,3 units. The average value for the industry in the country is slightly more than 6 units," Maxim Novikov, the director general of TAIF-NK JSC, told the participants of the tour.

Maxim Novikov also focused in his presentation on an extensive basket of manufactured product nomenclature, today numbering more than 30 items. It has recently been replenished with three new positions:

“In addition to those products that we have been producing for a long time — high-quality automotive fuel: gasoline and diesel fuel, raw materials for Nizhnekamskneftekhim, bitumen, etc., our Arctic diesel fuel is appreciated by the market, another of our new products is in demand by consumers — AI 92 K-5 ECO automotive fuel. Besides, at the pilot units, we obtained the final residual product — concentrated residue of hydrocracking tar (COGG), which also increases the conversion rate of oil refining. This product was studied by metallurgists and proved to be in demand by them. Now we are implementing the project on an industrial scale — the process of building a new unit is in the active phase. In terms of the final volume of this product, oil is to be no more than 4%," the director general of TAIF-NK JSC explained to the Realnoe Vremya journalist later in an interview.

An important point: all novelties could be obtained by the enterprise, including as a result of commissioning of the HRCC. The products of the distillation of tar and vacuum gas oil have unique properties.

More about new products

It was possible to learn more about the new products of production a little later — in an interview with the chief technologist — head of the technical department of TAIF-NK JSC, Alexey Taymanov at the site of Realnoe Vremya offsite studio. It was also deployed on the territory of the TatOilExpo 2023 exhibition with the support of the oil refining company.

It was not easy to get an opportunity to ask several questions to the expert: the chief technologist of the company was constantly busy communicating with visitors of the exhibition, who were interested in everything: both unique technical and technological solutions implemented at the TAIF-NK production facilities, and product characteristics.

“Indeed, there are a lot of visitors at the exhibition. They are interested in products, including new types. These are three types of new products — Arctic diesel fuel, concentrated tar hydrocracking residue and AI 92 K-5 ECO grade gasoline. Arctic diesel fuel with a maximum filterability temperature of up to -46°C is in demand in the regions with low temperatures, ensuring the efficiency of starting the engine, and therefore the possibility of preserving transport logistics. It is important. ECO gasoline is also in demand by the market. The work on it has been underway since June last year. Thanks to special additives, the efficiency of the engine has been increased, fuel consumption and the wear rate of car engine parts have been reduced," said Alexey Taymanov.

The chief technologist of TAIF-NK JSC dwelt on the COGG in more detail. The product really turned out to be unique.

“We operate the unique Heavy residue Conversion Complex. But not all the raw materials that come to this unit are able to react properly in the conditions we create. And it is this residue, after its concentrating, that turns into a product with the most valuable properties for both ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy," explained Alexey Taymanov.

When asked to tell what is the value of COGG for each of the areas of metallurgy, he tried to reveal the topic as clearly as possible:

“In ferrous metallurgy, our product can be used as a component of coal charge for coking. The traditional raw material base for blast furnace coke is coking coals. But there are not so many deposits of such coal in the world, and this is a very scarce and expensive, but necessary product for metallurgy. COGG gives the opportunity to involve less valuable grades of coal in the processes, informing them of the characteristics required for ferrous metallurgy. And non-ferrous metallurgists, for example, need anodes to recover aluminum from ore using electric arc melting. To obtain anodes, coal pitch is used as a binder. And it turns out as a by-product of ferrous metallurgy. However, the technology does not stand still, and in the course of improving the production of ferrous metallurgy, the production of coal pitch has sharply decreased. Non-ferrous metallurgy had to look for a replacement for the raw materials becoming scarce. And as it turned out during tests on existing electrolyzers, our COGG perfectly replaces this coal pitch.

But that's not all. The production of COGG, for which a unit is currently being built at the site of TAIF-NK JSC, will not only give the company the opportunity to offer a new in-demand product to the market, but will also become another step towards achieving the task of maximally advanced oil refining.

“This is the next stage of conversion, in which an additional volume of light petroleum products is obtained, which go into further processing. And if now the volume of extraction of light oil products per tonne of crude oil is 88% — with an average indicator for the industry in Russia of 66-67%, then after obtaining on an industrial scale, the yield of light oil products will reach 95-98% per tonne. This is the absolute maximum in the industry," Alexey Taymanov stressed.

Maxim Novikov, the director general of TAIF-NK JSC, also spoke about the importance of achieving this mark in an interview with Realnoe Vremya:

“Many people say: the processing depth is 98%, 99%, but at the same time there are ... let's say, not quite liquid products in the basket. We are talking about the fact that the recovery of light oil products from oil is the most important indicator. And not just reaching the level, but also its stable maintaining.

Working in tandem

It was at the forum in 2023 that TAIF-NK performed for the first time in an exhibition tandem with another company belonging to TAIF Group — the relatively young TAIF-SM.

In less than 4 years, the only manufacturer of polyalphaolefin oils that sells its products under the brand TAIF Lubricants has managed to become one of the leaders of the domestic lubricants market and has already begun active expansion into accessible foreign markets.

When asked what unites the companies, Maxim Novikov answered as follows:

“The first, of course, is that we work together as part of TAIF Group. The second is raw materials. Now our products are becoming raw materials for further conversion by Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC, and from there, part of the manufactured products is returned in the form of raw materials for TAIF-SM productions. Now both we and our colleagues are striving for more: we are working on the possibility of providing part of the supplies to TAIF-SM directly from us.

From forum to forum

TAIF-NK and other exhibitors of the Tatarstan Petrochemical Forum and the TatOilExpo 2023 international exhibition have two more days of an active business programme, business meetings and negotiations ahead of them.

However, even after the completion of this forum, the exposition activity in the republic will not subside. Almost immediately, the republic will start preparing for the next major international event. On the same site, on the territory of Kazan Expo International Exhibition Centre, a new exhibition is going to unfold within the framework of the business forum Rostchi. Russia—China: Mutually Beneficial Cooperation.

TAIF-NK JSC has something to tell and what to show to current and potential business partners from China. The start of the Rostchi international forum is scheduled for September 7.