The Shymkent Oil Refinery will gradually switch to producing gasoline of Euro-3, 4 and 5 standards. This was the request of the government in order to ensure environmental safety. Our correspondent Zimfira Vorobyeva learned the entire process from extraction to transformation of oil into fuel. She also learnt about the oil company’s social projects.

The Kumkol oil field is just 200 km away from Kyzylorda and is the center of PetroKazakhstan’s production. It yields over 4m tonnes of oil annually. Once extracted, the black gold is separated from water and gas. Water is reinjected into reservoir to maintain pressure there while gas is utilized.

«A large amount of gas is used as fuel for our facilities while the remaining gas is reinjected into the reservoir for future needs. Oil is transported to the Shymkent refinery for refining. The company plans to gradually shift to producing gasoline of the highest Euro-5 standard. The refinery will undergo a complete one-month renovation in October this year. The existing units will be modernized», Zhu Fumin, director, field operations, PetroKazakhstan Kumkol Resources, said.

«There are only three refineries in Kazakhstan, so suspension of the plant’s operation would decrease the supply of gasoline by a third. In any case, I think that the oil and gas ministry will prepare for the refinery’s suspension. That is why we start the overhaul in October after completion of all harvesting works», Jiang Shi, Vice-President, Production, PetroKazakhstan Oil Products, said.

The company invests millions of dollars annually in development and support of the regions where it extracts and refines oil. The oil company pays special attention to social issues. For example, it supports the Kyzylorda orphanage which is home to children with development problems.

«They [the oil company’s employees] replaced all windows, doors, floors and ceilings in all our buildings and put up terraces», Gulnas Anaspayeva, cheif doctor of the Kyzylorda Children Center, said.

The oil company takes care of the kindergarten in Zhanakorgan, the Youth House in Shymkent and the Sayram orphanage. Children there are taught dance by professional choreographers while professional economists teach them the basics of economics. Grown-ups who want to start up small business can receive relevant equipment. Several mothers of large and low-income families received sewing machines as a gift