AB Mazeikiu Nafta has announced completion of refurbishment of the Visbreaking Unit, the second phase of Mazeikiu Nafta’s interim recovery plan, which will enable the Company to increase the yields of light petroleum products (mainly diesel fuel and gasoline) from the levels of the yields decreased after the fire in October 2006.

The fire in October 2006 damaged part of the equipment in the Visbreaking Unit in addition to major damages to the Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU). The Company repaired or replaced such equipment and modified the operations process.

According to the Company’s spokesman, with the Visbreaking Unit in operation, Mazeikiu Nafta is capable of increasing production of light petroleum products mainly diesel fuel and gasoline.

Refurbishment of the Unit was completed in five months. Mazeikiu Nafta and 10 Lithuanian and Polish companies performed the repairs and refurbishment.

The Visbreaking Unit is used for recovering additional light products from vacuum residue and reducing heavy fuel oil production. As part of this thermal process, certain portion of vacuum residue cracks and forms gasoline diesel and intermediates as small gasoline fraction.

Visbreaker products are separated by distillation and diverted for further processing in combination with other feedstock to improve the quality of the components. Gases formed during the process are recovered separately and after desulphurization are used in the refining processes as fuel.

Mindaugas Voldemaras
AB Mazeikiu Nafta
Tel.: +370 443 9 26 08
Fax: +370 443 9 25 79
mindaugas.voldemaras@nafta.lt