News & Events in Belarus

Oil extraction seen as oil processing development priority in Belarus

MINSK, 7 June (BelTA) – Oil extraction is one of the development priorities for the Belarusian oil processing industry, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during the session to discuss the modernization of Belarusian oil refineries and the export of oil products on 7 June, BelTA informs.

“Today we will discuss the state of affairs in the Belarusian oil processing industry and determine further development prospects. Having analyzed all the materials that I was given, I found out we completely forgot that we extract slightly less than 2 million tons of good high-quality oil in Belarus. Don’t forget about it. This is another prospect of development for us,” Aleksandr Lukashenko remarked.

Speaking about the modernization of Belarusian oil refineries, the head of state asked about the progress in investment projects and construction works. “How will oil refineries perform after upgrade? How will you ensure efficient work in new conditions? What prospects in the oil processing industry do all of us and our government see in the coming decade?” the president wondered. Apart from that, the session focused on the efforts to promote the export of oil products.

“I do not need theories because we have already spoken about it so much. The essence of the matter, i.e. the completion of the upgrade, is important,” Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed. “Now we get almost 20% of residual oil after oil processing. Therefore, a task was set to minimize the amount of such residues. When the upgrade is over, we will get only 3-4% of oil residues. This is it, as far as fuel is concerned.”

The president said that workers of oil refineries had to do a more difficult job in 1940s. Back then oil was not delivered to enterprises directly, so it was necessary to dismount the equipment and transport it to other regions of the Soviet Union, for example, to the Urals, install it within a few months and make products. “We are way too lazy now. We often complain that there are not enough specialists and other things. If you don’t have enough specialists, train them or look for them in other places,” the head of state added.

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