Rustam Minnikhanov: “Oil should be more efficiently used in the republic”

The Tatneftekhiminvest Holding board of directors and the RAS Chemistry Department have today held a joint meeting with the participation of Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov and RAS Vice-President Sergey Aldoshin.

The meeting reviewed the current and prospective areas for cooperation between Tatarstan-based enterprises and Russian Academy of Sciences institutions.

Rustam Minnikhanov said, opening the meeting, Tatarstan had been a large petrochemical region and the industry would continue to be the republic's main one. Since recovery is not going to grow, the available reserves need to be used more efficiently. One of the areas is development of petrochemistry, including the Taneco project, as well as producing new materials.

The Tatarstan head thinks the republic can be a testing ground for designing, producing and promoting new materials. He told the RAS representatives: “I am glad we have built this tandem and that there is a possibility to use the Russian science potential in Tatarstan.”

Sergey Aldoshin recalled the Tatarstan Cabinet of Ministers had in April 2004 concluded a science and technology cooperation agreement in the field of chemistry, petrochemistry and ecology, and adopted a related programme until 2015. The purposes include implementing in Tatarstan technologies devised by the RAS, and conducting fundamental research. The agreement was highly significant for both Tatarstan’s innovative industrial development and for science itself.

The Tatneftekhiminvest Holding general director Rafinat Yarullin outlined prospective areas for cooperation. The main tasks include setting up an innovative oil refining centre based in Taneco and JSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim, applying nanotechnology achievements and improving educational programmes.

The reporter invited the RAS to cooperate within the innovative centres established in Tatarstan.

The RAS Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis director Salambek Khadzhiev made a report on new domestic petrochemistry and oil refining developments. He spoke about new advanced oil processing catalysts, associate gas processing into high-octane petrol or olefins.

“We are trusted in Tatarstan, our ideas are implemented here,” Salambek Khadzhiev concluded.

The RAS Siberia branch Catalysis Institute director Valentin Paramon presented scientific research results on nanostructured catalysts. He stressed that a balanced and effective growth in the Russian chemical, petrochemical and oil refining complexes was impossible without an own and diversified catalyst sub-industry. The academician outlined prospective areas for the institute’s cooperation with Tatarstan, some of which are implemented by Tatarstan-based companies.

Rustam Minnikhanov recommended setting up working groups with the participation of Tatneft, Nizhnekamskneftekhim and TAIF NK on all the proposed areas.