OREANDA-NEWS. February 22, 2011. Mr. Rovnag Abdullayev, SOCAR President received the delegation led by Mr. Rajeev Gautam, UOP President and Mr. Andreas Kramvis, President and CEO of Honeywell Specialty Materials. Welcoming the guests, Mr. Abdullayev noted long-term character of cooperation of SOCAR oil refining factories with UOP. He pointed out that UOP is one of the world’s well-known companies in oil refining and petrochemical engineering. As he mentioned, UOP is among the authors of leading refinery plants operated now in Azerbaijan.

Noting successful cooperation between UOP and SOCAR, Mr. Abdullayev spoke about new possibilities for expansion of these relations. According to him, oil refining and petrochemistry of Azerbaijan is on the threshold of big changes. Preparatory measures are taken for construction of new oil and gas processing and petrochemical complex under the commission of the head of the country.

Mr. Rajeev Gautam, UOP President expressed gratitude for reception and noted that UOP integration with Honeywell International Corporation had greatly increased its capabilities. Speaking about big experience gained from cooperation with Azerbaijan’s oil processing enterprises, the guest said UOP is ready to use its experience in preparing a feasibility study of a new oil and gas processing and petrochemical complex to be built in Baku, in the enterprise configuration, as well as to conduct the work necessary in the sphere of integration and optimization.

The guests assured that the company has extensive experience and advanced technologies in order to prepare the most optimal concept for a new complex in the shortest possible time. Highly assessing the strategical importance of new oil and gas processing and petrochemical complex to be built, Mr. Abdullayev said the complex, which would supply raw material at the expense of Azerbaijani oil and gas reserves, would be a new stage in oil and gas processing, especially in the field of petrochemistry. It will also contribute to moving old oil refineries to countryside and, consequently to improvement of ecological state of Baku city.

Highly assessing the great interest of UOP and Honeywell International in the new complex, Mr. Abdullayev stressed that before the construction of a new plant to meet the country's increasing demand in gasoline, reconstruction and optimization work should be carried out at the Baku Oil Refinery named after Heydar Aliyev. SOCAR President expressed confidence that further cooperation of SOCAR and UOP specialists, which have the copyright to these installations, would provide positive results.