AB Mažeikių Nafta Refinery has completed the rebuilding of Vacuum Distillation Unit.  Its Vacuum Column was damaged in a fire which took place on October 12, 2006.

In February 2007 the Company put into operation the Vacuum Column in the Bitumen Unit in order to partially replace the capacity of the fire-damaged facility and to decrease Company’s losses.

Rebuilding of the Vacuum Distillation Unit started in February 2007 after the removal of the fire-damaged column.Lithuanian, Polish and Italian engineering and construction companies performed most of the rebuilding work. The major components of the unit were produced also in Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

The Vacuum Distillation Unit is to be put into operation in January after it is reconnected to other installations of the Refinery in place ofthe Vacuum Column in the Bitumen Unit. Such reconnection will require the temporary shutdown of the Visbreaking unit, which will in turn result in the slightly reduced capacity regime of the total Refinery over the start-up period.

After the Vacuum Distillation Unit is fully operating the Company’s effective throughput will return to the pre-fire level.