The oil refinery "Azerneftyanadzhag" is celebrating its 50-th anniversary this year. According to SOCAR, since its existence this plant has refined over 280 million tonnes of crude oil. Currently Azerneftyanadzhag, employing around 2500 people, produces 15 different petroleum products. Over 70% of the lighter petroleum products are exported abroad to France, Italy, Georgia, Greece and other countries.

The state oil company noted that by refining 3.1 million tonnes of crude oil every year the plant produces 650-700 thousand tonnes of petrol (internal demand is 350-360 thousand tonnes), 300 thousand tonnes of aviation kerosene (over 70% exported), 680 thousand tonnes of diesel fuel (over 50% is exported).

The production capacity of Azerneftyanadzhag oil refinery is 8 million tonnes. Over the last decade the enterprise completed the first stage of the reconstruction of the technological facility for the initial processing of crude oil ELOU-AVT-6 (electric desalting facility - atmospheric vacuum pipe heating) and catalytic reforming. To improve the quality of petroleum products to international standards a contract was signed with Merikem Corporation, the world leaders in the field of alkali treatment of petroleum products for the purchase of technological documentation and license products.

In 2001 construction was completed and commissioned into exploitation of a facility for purifying petroleum acids. This project has enabled the production of diesel and kerosene fractions meeting international standards. Reduction of expenses on electric energy and also taken out of exploitation of morally outdated and physically worn out facilities for alkali treatment of diesel fuel.

Introducing the project with Merikem on the ELU-AVT-6 will allow in 2004 to improve the production of aviation kerosene from the current grade TC-1 to A-1, which costs USD10-15 more per ton than the TC-1 grade. By the end of the current year, the refinery plans to put into production a block for hydrofining diesel fuel to make it conform to international standards.

It is also assumed that the production of diesel fuel, which has good demand in the country, will be increased through the processing of furnace fuel.

The immediate plans of the refinery is to hold a tender for the second stage of the reconstruction of the ELOU-AVT-6 and catalytic reforming facilities so that all the leading facilities of Azerneftyanadzhag is completed.