Construction has begun on China National Petroleum Corporation’s first unit equipped with an ionic liquid alkylation system

Thread Content

On September 2, the construction of China National Petroleum Corporation’s first plant to use ionic liquid alkylation technology, with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of alkylated products, began at the Golmud Refinery. This move represents a solid step forward for the Golmud Refinery in achieving improved quality and efficiency, as well as in shifting its refining products from those with low added value to ones that generate higher profits. The project with an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of alkylated products involves using C4 components to produce high-octane alkylated oils, thereby increasing the octane rating of gasoline and enabling the production of higher-octane gasoline. This project utilizes the ionic liquid alkylation technology from China University of Petroleum, marking the first time that China National Petroleum Corporation has adopted this technology. The construction of this project is another important measure taken by the Golmud Refinery to improve product quality, produce clean energy, and protect the ecology of the plateau. The Golmud Refinery is the smallest among China’s petroleum refining and processing enterprises. Over the 24 years since its establishment, the plant has processed a total of 22 million tons of crude oil. The range of refined products has expanded from just gasoline and diesel to nearly 20 different types today, making significant contributions to the economic development, environmental protection, and construction of an ecological civilization in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In order to make the Golmud Refinery a more efficient and high-quality facility, over the past few years, the Qinghai Oilfield has focused on technical upgrades to the refinery’s production equipment, an expansion of the range of chemical products produced, and improvements in product quality, working step by step to turn the Golmud Refinery into a top-tier refinery in the plateau region. In production management, the principle that \"greater stability leads to greater efficiency\" is firmly upheld; continuous attention is paid to the three key stages of raw material intake, production organization, and product delivery, thereby building a solid foundation for stable, efficient, and high-quality production. Strengthen the link between production and sales to ensure smooth production processes. Strict control is exercised over production processes, with continuous efforts to enhance standardized inspections, as well as meticulous monitoring of operational procedures and adherence to job-related discipline. Evaluations are conducted for the ‘three-year maintenance’ of equipment, and comprehensive improvement plans are developed. As a result, the stability rate of all plants in the facility reaches 99.9%, which is 0.37% higher than the average level for the refining and chemical processing sector. By taking advantage of the regional characteristics of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in product processing, specialty refined products are produced. Since 2014, the Golmud Refinery has entered a fast track of development. The capacity expansion project for benzene extraction and the renovation of supporting facilities in the national IV gasoline quality improvement initiative were completed successfully ； The flue gas desulfurization project was successfully put into operation, effectively removing over 80% of the sulfur dioxide in the flue gas and reducing sulfur dioxide emissions ； After the upgrade of the 800,000 tons per year hydrocracking unit, the improvement of diesel quality at the refinery was significantly promoted, and -35 grade National IV low-viscosity diesel was produced for the first time. The quality of National V gasoline has been upgraded, achieving the goal of \"designing in the same year, constructing in the same year, and putting into operation in the same year\". The produced National V diesel products have filled the gap in the production of National V gasoline and diesel products on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This year, Ge Lian launched new projects for aviation fuel and low-viscosity diesel in response to the market demands of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, creating opportunities for the refinery to achieve sustainable growth. It ranks first in the refining and petrochemical sector in terms of high product yield and the proportion of Grade V refined oil. By adjusting the distribution of etherified gasoline products and optimizing technologies such as reforming feedstocks, the octane number of the gasoline blending tank was improved, which not only enabled the production of compliant National V gasoline but also led to a reduction in the sales volume of low-quality gasoline.