Gazprom opens new lubes plant in Russia

Gazprom Neft, part of the larger Gazprom group, is one of Russia’s leading oil companies. The new 3.4 billion ruble (US$120 million) plant is located in the Omsk region (Russia’s Siberia).

According to Anatoly Cherner, deputy director of Gazprom Neft’s department of logistics, processing and sales, the capacity of the plant, which has an automatic blending unit, will be 110,000t per year, most of which will supply the domestic shipbuilding industry, in particular United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC)

A USC spokesman said that products from the new plant will be mostly used in the manufacture of ship diesel engines. He added that all the marine lubricants are intended to protect against engine wear when burning fuel oils of 1.0% to 3.5% sulphur content, and will comply with international standards.

In addition to the domestic market, the lubricants will be exported to some 29 countries, in particular the CIS and Central Asian regions.

The statement issued by Gazprom Neft on 14 April added that as well as the new Omsk plant, the company plans to commission a new marine lubricants plant in Serbia, at a refinery owned by the local NIS company.

Gazprom Neft intends to enter competition with the current Russian market leader, Rosneft, which manufactures about 2.6 million litres of marine oils and additives at its Novokuibyshev plant, under the Castrol brand. Novokuibyshev currently produces eight types of marine oil, including cylinder lubricants and crankcase oils. Shell is another company producing marine oils in Russia, with a factory in the Tver region.