OREANDA-NEWS. August 10, 2015. The Gazprom Neft Omsk Refinery has produced its first pilot batch of needle coke — an item not currently produced in Russia.  

Needle coke is an expensive and highly structured carbon product with a low metal and sulphur content, used in the manufacture of graphite electrodes. Its properties make needle coke appropriate for use in the production of electrodes requiring low electrical resistance and low coefficient for thermal expansion. It is used in the metallurgy, nuclear, chemical and space industries. The production of these electrodes was previously possible only through the use of imported raw materials.

Anatoly Cherner, Gazprom Neft Deputy CEO for Logistics, Processing and Sales, commented: “We are committed to pursuing the industrial production of needle coke by means of domestic technology. In the long term, commercial production of needle coke at the Omsk Refinery will reduce the dependence of Russian producers of carbon-graphite products on foreign suppliers, which will, in turn, will impact production costs for various strategic industrial sectors and improve their competitiveness.”