| TOPIC OF THE ISSUE |
 Russia and China: Perspectives and conditions of cooperation
Russia is the world leading oil and gas producer. The products are mostly supplied to international markets. In 2009, oil and gas production exceeded 1bn t of o.e. (oil equivalent as per fuel value) including 494 mn t of oil and 582trln m3 of gas; crude oil and oil products exports exceeded 360mn t, export volume of gas was over 150trln m3 of gas. Main hydrocarbon production area is the Western Siberia; about 70% of Russian oil and over 90% of gas is produced there. In perspective, the Western Siberia and the Far East will become the new largest centers of the oil and gas sector. |
| PERSON OF THE ISSUE |
 Know how keeper
Dr Gennady Valiavin, honored refiner of Bashkortostan republic
In 2009 Ufa petroleum technology university team fulfilled the first in more than 20 years Delayed Coking Unit (DCU) at Bashneft refinery in Ufa, Bashkortostan. The importance of DCU today can hardly be overestimated, as refineries need to increase the refining depth. However, it's not always a guaranteed success scenario and not all of the DCU become profit makers. As a popular soviet anecdote goes: there are nuances. This kind of problem makes particularly relative the experience of such distinguished experts like Dr Valyavin. |
| PHOTO OF THE ISSUE |
 Smoke on the water
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| EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION |
 Maritime activities of Russia: exploration and development of mineral and fuel and energy resources of the shelf and the bottom of the World Ocean
The 4th All-Russian Research and Practice Conference and Exhibition for the problems of the maritime activities of Russia were held in Moscow in late May. |
| REFINING |
 BBTC–2010: sulphur, coke and volcano rumble
Traditional conference for the specialists from the petrochemical and refining sectors held by EPC in Moscow Marriott Grand Hotel this year had had to pass a serious... volcanic ash test even before the event began. Despite of the fact that multiple flights had been cancelled in EU and the former Soviet Union states, many participants came to the conference, although they had quite a white-knuckle ride. Many foreign process companies had to send their Moscow agents to the event. |
| EXPORTS |
 Jorge Montepeque: Platts quotes markets only when they are big and liquid enough
The visit of the American price reporting agency Platts to Kyiv in the middle of May was, as it turned out, provoked by the publications in Ukrainian press referring to «some private foreign agency» deciding on Ukrainian motor fuels prices». As one hero in Oscar winning soviet movie Moscow Does not Believe in Tears movie said, «I had to take the floor and mount the rostrum...» |
| COMPANIES |
 Mikhail Gutseriyev is back
Mikhail Gutseriyev is back to Russia. And he manages Russneft again!
In May, Russian exiled oil tycoon Mikhail Gutseriyev returned to Russia. For those familiar with situation in Russia this case is indeed unique: for the first time ever such a top level exiled businessman comes back to the country after a «deportation» to London. The prosecutors had criminal cases against him terminated, and even the key asset, vertically integrated Russneft, that he had literally step by step collected, one small producer after another, retail operators, then refineries, all that was returned back to him! |
| TECHNOLOGY |
 Selas Linde offers efficient furnace solutions
Every day of down time at a refinery costs dearly to the shareholders. Selas Linde can offer a way to reduce such losses for any furnace project. Selas Linde GmbH (SL), with its head office in Pullach near Munich (Germany), as part of Linde Group serves the oil and gas industry for more than 128 years in all areas of furnace technology. |
| TECHNOLOGY |
 Nanostructured carbon
Unique application for natural gas
Russia is the world leader for natural gas reserves (47.6trln m3) possessing 26.7% of the world reserves. The list of the largest natural gas consumers includes industrial sectors (45%) and power generation industry (33%). Still, the onrush of nanotechnologies and the annually arising problems concerning the high rate of injuries in the power industry (12% of the population of Russia) and arthrosis (malady of the age) and, corresponding, high demand for solutions aimed at elimination of bone tissue defects resulted in unique application of natural gas, i.e. creation of implantable materials that are both compatible with living tissue and affordable in price. |
