Caspi Bitum Plant produces first batch of road bitumen after upgradeThe Caspi Bitum plant in Aktau has received a quality certificate for its first 740-tonne batch of road bitumen following a major modernization, Kazakhstan’s state oil company KazMunayGas (KMG) announced Wednesday."The Aktau bitumen plant of Caspi Bitum LLP has achieved a key milestone in its modernization project. A quality certificate has been issued for the first 740-tonne batch of road bitumen, confirming the upgraded facility’s operational readiness," the statement said.The upgrade centered on the ELOU-AVT primary oil refining unit, where new core equipment was installed to boost processing capacity to 1.5 million tonnes of oil annually. A critical step was March’s installation of a 40-meter (131-foot), 140-tonne vacuum column, which enhances fuel oil processing capacity while producing higher-quality vacuum residue, the essential feedstock for road bitumen production.The modernization program also included comprehensive upgrades to the atmospheric distillation section, process heaters, heat exchangers, pumping systems, along with the installation of advanced process control and automation systems to optimize overall plant performance."KMG said the $76 million project, handled by China’s CITIC Construction, finished a month early due to round-the-clock work by 220 personnel. The plant is expected to reach full capacity by early May 2025.Caspi Bitum, a joint venture between KMG and CITIC Kazakhstan, has been Central Asia’s largest bitumen producer since its 2013 launch. It processes crude from Kazakhstan’s Karazhanbasmunai field.The expansion follows a 2023 agreement signed during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to China, aimed at meeting domestic bitumen demand. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX