Photo courtesy of Belorusneft
GOMEL, 1 March (BelTA) – The Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft has opened a unique ore-dressing manufacturing facility in Brest Oblast, BelTA has learned.
This project is an important step towards import substitution and towards enhancing the company’s independence with regard to raw materials. Belorusneft representatives noted that the future enterprise will sell its products on the domestic market and foreign ones.
The construction of the BelKvarts division to make fractional quartz sand began in Malorita District, Brest Oblast less than a year ago. All the necessary operations were completed within a record short period of time.
Belorusneft needs this kind of sand for hydrofracturing operations in the course of extracting hard-to-recover oil. Propping agents and sand, which were previously imported, are used as consumables in this kind of work. Belorusneft specialists have been able to come up with a domestic alternative. Sand from the Khotislavskoye deposit has the most fitting parameters for oil extraction operations. The company concluded it after examining 13 open pits in various parts of Belarus. Sand from the Khotislavskoye deposit passed about 2,000 tests, this is why Belorusneft went ahead and set up a sand enrichment plant over there.
The BelKvarts division has well-developed engineering infrastructure that includes manufacturing lines, sand packaging, water boreholes, and labs. The enterprise will be able to make about 50,000 tonnes of sand per annum.
It is an absolutely new industrial format for Belorusneft. Yet it will secure economic benefits, in particular, it will reduce hydrofracturing costs by 30% in addition to offering over 30 jobs to local residents. “The experience of domestic and foreign partners, all kinds of research and studies, intensive work in complicated natural conditions as well as comprehensive state support have helped implement one of the most ambitious projects of the Belarusian oil industry of the last few years,” Belorusneft concluded.
Belorusneft’s Neftespetstroi division acted as the general contractor for building the new enterprise. BelNIPIneft was the key designer. It tightly cooperated with colleagues from Belorusneft’s Neftekhimproyekt and outside specialists. Belorusneft workers and locally hired workers worked at the construction site.
The Belarusian industrial group Belorusneft was founded in 1966. The company specializes in exploration, prospecting, and development of oil fields, well drilling, extraction of oil and associated petroleum gas. Belorusneft also offers oil industry services in other countries.
