The delayed coking unit (DCU) currently under construction is designed to process heavy petroleum feedstock, predominantly tar. Pre-heated tar is fed into the fractionation column, where it is separated into light fractions and ultra-heavy tar. Light hydrocarbons are sent to be processed into commercial oil products, while the ultra-heavy tar is sent to a coking chamber to be turned, under high temperatures, into coke. Coking chambers operate cyclically, with the coking process going on in one chamber, while the other is unloaded and prepared for the next cycle. The produced coke is in considerable demand by the aluminium and electrical engineering industries.

The modernised DCU is expected to produce 38,700 tonnes of needle coke every year, once renovation is complete in 2021. Investment in the project stands at RUB5.2 billion. Installation of three major coking ovens, each 28.5 metres long and weighing 197 tonnes, is already complete. Process heaters and secondary refining columns will also be replaced as part of this reconstruction, an additional tank farm built, and an automated control system deployed.

Gazprom Neft is currently involved in a full-scale modernisation programme at its Omsk and Moscow refineries, involving cumulative investment of more than RUB550 billion. The first stage of this programme has allowed the enterprise to transfer to the exclusive production of modern, environmentally-friendly Euro-5 fuels. The implementation of the second phase of this modernisation programme is now ongoing, as a result of which refining depth and light product yield are expected to increase to match the highest international standards.