Construction of Keshi Petrochemical’s 500,000 tons/year propane deasphalting unit has begun

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On April 28, the lubricant structure adjustment project of CNPC Karamay Petrochemical Co., Ltd. – a 500,000-ton/year propane deasphalting unit – was put into operation, marking another important step forward in the company’s strategy to reduce the production of conventional oils and increase that of specialty oils. The commencement of construction of the 500,000 tons per year propane deasphalting unit represents another key project in the series of initiatives aimed at adjusting the structure of lubricant production, following the commissioning of the third high-pressure hydrogenation unit in 2019 and the white oil hydrogenation unit in 2022. Using paraffin-based vacuum residue as raw material, this project employs supercritical extraction technology to produce deasphalted oil, while also optimizing the feed for the company’s three existing high-pressure hydrogenation units in order to increase the production of BS bright oil and high-end white oil products. In recent years, the demand for domestic BS brightening oils and high-end white oils has been increasing year by year, resulting in a supply shortage in the market and a high dependence on imports. Keshi Petrochemical Company makes full use of its technical advantages; building on its existing two propane deasphalting units, it has added another unit with an annual capacity of 500,000 tons. This will help alleviate the supply-demand imbalance in the domestic market and facilitate the substitution of imported products with domestic alternatives. The project is scheduled to be completed on July 30, 2025. Once the project is completed and put into operation, the structure of Keshi Petrochemical’s lubricant products will be further optimized, helping the company to strengthen its advantage in producing fewer conventional oils and more specialty products, and thus accelerating the company’s transformation and upgrading.