Russian state-owned Gazpromneft has offered HVI-2 and VHVI-4 base oils from Yaroslavl Refinery for export, according to data received by DYM Resources.
Yaroslavl Refinery launched 100,000 tons/year Group III base oils last summer 2017, but could not stabilize production quality by June.
“The product quality now looks good: The color is 0, saturates content is 99%, sulphur content is less than 10ppm,” commented Denis Varaksin, base oils and wax director of DYM Resources.
Gazpromneft does not guarantee minimum viscosity index in its specifications, although typical VI stands at 120, which is the minimum required to classify for Group III according to American Petroleum Institute (API) definition.
The feedstock quality has changed during the project implementation and the unit needed different catalysts to maintain a high quality of production, market participants say. The refinery planned to improve Group III products quality by the end of 2018.
Yaroslavl Refinery is located 300 km northeast of Moscow and exports about 40,000 tons of Group I base oils per year, most of them headed to the Baltic ports of Riga and Liepaja.
Ownership of the refinery is split between the Russian oil and gas giants Gazpromneft and Rosneft. Both companies have equal shares in the refinery’s output.
For June, loading consists of around 800 tons of HVI-2 (API Group II base oils with viscosity at 100C at 2 cst) and about 600 tons of HVHI-4 (API Group III, viscosity 4 cst).
Yaroslavl Refinery is located close to Russia’s western border and already exports its Group III products from Rosneft’s share via Baltic ports. Rosneft sells export volume through monthly tenders, while Gazprom allocates base oils through distributors.
Gazpromneft’s base oils are REACH registered.
DYM Resources GmbH is a base oils trading company that specializes in sourcing from Russia. The company can offer base oils from Yaroslavl refinery in flexi containers, liquid trucks, or other form of packing. To receive a quote, please email us at info@dymresources.com
