60 Years Since First Production at Angarsk Refinery

The Angarsk Refinery is celebrating the sixtieth anniversary since first commercial output: 14 April 1954 batch of methanol was released at the Angarsk Refinery (former Hydrogenation Plant of Complex 16).

Methanol production has become a significant phase in establishment of the Angarsk Refinery. In those days the production structure was being developed, which later defined the uniqueness of the enterprise. It seamlessly integrated several branches of activities, including petrochemical area. Initially the enterprise was to carry out coal conversion, but it was quickly restructured for a different function of oil processing, as more prospective area. The Angarsk Refinery production played a major role in the development of a number of related industries, including the aerospace industry.

Today the Angarsk Refinery is the only methanol producing enterprise in Irkutsk region. The product of synthetic origin is produced in one of the shops of the chemical plant. It is a valuable raw material for many sectors of the industry, which is widely applied in pharmacy, large-scale, light, and coating industries. Three quarters of produced methanol is used in chemical industry for other products. Crude methanol, which is used as resolvent during oil and gas extraction, is also produced at the Angarsk Refinery.

Today the quality of Angarsk methanol is considered one of the best in the country, which is proved by its demand in Russian and foreign markets. Production volume is increasing annually. In 2013 it amounted to 47.4 thousand tons.

Within the framework of implementing Rosneft investment program aimed at modernization of the chemical plant in 2013, there started works on design of new units for methanol production. The modern facility with design capacity of 100 thousand tons will be equipped with fully automatic controlling system.

Rosneft Information Division
April 14, 2014