OREANDA-NEWS. August 29, 2012. A press conference of Shafagat Takhautdinov, the Company's General Director, for representatives of federal and Tatarstan mass media was held. The General Director told the journalists about the major projects of the Company and their prospects, reported the press-centre of TATNEFT. 

The General Director started the communication with journalists with the information about a recent visit of Alexander Novak, Energy Minister of the Russian Federation to OAO TATNEFT, during which the latter had been familiarized with the innovative technologies and projects implemented by the Company in crude oil production, crude oil refining and petrochemistry and, in particular, with the development of the extra-viscous oil field of NGDU "Nurlatneft" at Ashalchi, construction of the TANEKO Refining and Petrochemical Plants Complex and the factory of solid-steel cord (SSC) tires in Nizhnekamsk.

As far as expanding crude oil production is concerned the most promising project for TATNEFT is the project of heavy oil and bitumen production. As a result of tax relieving measures for production of this kind of oil the project has moved into the attractive investments category.

Implementation of the TANECO Refining and Petrochemical Plants Complex construction project is in progress. The plans for this year provide for completion of all the construction works at the site of the combined hydrocracking installation. A special Department has been established at TATNEFT for implementing the construction of this installation.

In the frame of developing the petrochemical block of TATNEFT Holding further modernization of the "Nizhnekamskshina" mass tire factory is being carried out with the plans providing for replacement of the outdated tires production with the production of a new generation tires. The share of the Nizhnekamsk tire products reached 38 percent of the Russian production of tires. The most advanced robotic assembly equipment MAXX will be delivered to "Nizhnekamskshina" before the end of this year, which will allow increasing the production capacity of Kama-Euro and Viatti tires by one and a half times up to 4.5 million tires.

Talking about the expected performance of the Company, Shafagat Takhautdinov pointed out that in the current year TATNEFT planned to maintain the annual oil production level achieved in 2011. To perform this task the Company increases volumes of geological and engineering operations, application of efficient enhanced oil recovery methods, in particular, multi-stage formation hydraulic fracturing (the plans for this year provide for 44 FHF operations more than in 2011).

In view of improving the efficiency of fields development and ensuring uniform fields' depletion a program has been elaborated to increase the volume of horizontal drilling, which also includes re-equipment and technical upgrading of drilling facilities.

During the press conference the journalists touched upon topical issues of the pilot and industrial development of extra-viscous oil deposits, activities in the outer territories and others. The journalists also addressed the subject of the Company's social policy and its participation in the republican and national projects.

Concluding the event, Shafagat Takhautdinov thanked the media representatives for their interest in the activities of TATNEFT, true-to-life and timely coverage of the Company's industrial and social activity events.