OREANDA-NEWS.JSC TATNEFT continues developing the comprehensive program for utilization of associated petroleum gas (APG).

The Company has successfully implemented various projects to improve the efficiency of associated petroleum gas utilization. One of the ways is application of oil heating furnaces at the preliminary water discharge units in the course of crude oil treatment to bring oil to market standards.

There are associated petroleum gas fueled reciprocating power plants and the APG fuelled microturbine power plants installed at the Company's facilities, from where transportation of associated petroleum gas is problematic, to generate electricity from APG. Due to the high degree of automation the micro-turbine based power generation system can operate without   constant presence of staff. The turbines operation monitoring is carried out by means of a microprocessor based automatic control system with inherent "remote access" capabilities. This program allows controlling the parameters of each turbine operation, changing if necessary the wattage and performing the equipment diagnostics. APG fuelled power plants operate in the Oil and Gas Production Boards "Yamashneft", "Elkhovneft" and "Bavlyneft."

In addition to this, the works are also underway at TATNEFT on construction of new gas gathering systems and reconstruction of existing ones. Gas gathering systems were built for   collection of associated petroleum gas from the facilities of NGDU "Almetyevneft", NGDU "Aznakaevskneft" and NGDU "Bavlyneft."
Additional pipelines were built to pump additional volumes of hydrogen sulfide containing gas at the Kichuy and Aktash sour crude oil treatment facilities, as well as at the gas separation stations of NGDU "Elkhovneft" for the purpose of reducing the pressure.

To expand the gas cleaning capacities the Company modernizes and expands the associated petroleum gas treatment units of "Tatneftegazpererabotka" Administration to remove hydrogen sulfide. The year 2015 will witness completion of the reconstruction of the Minnibaevsky sulfur removal facility (USO), aimed at improving the unit's   productivity.

By the end of 2014, the level of efficient associated petroleum gas utilization at the Company amounted to 95.17 percent.

Implementation of the planned activities will allow maintaining the target level of the efficient associated petroleum gas utilization at JSC TATNEFT at 95 percent, and will also allow optimizing fuel costs and making profit from the sale of gas products.