The Shymkent Oil Refinery occupies the southernmost position of Kazakhstan's three refineries, serving the country's most populous region and is the only refinery in southern Kazakhstan. It was originally commissioned in 1985, making it the newest of Kazakhstan's three operating refineries. ABB's project documentation confirms the site is in the Sayramskiy region administratively, though it is effectively within the city of Shymkent.
Capacity and Operating Parameters
| Metric |
Value |
| Installed crude processing capacity |
6.0 MMtpy (~120,500 bbl/d) |
| Actual throughput (2024) |
5.74 MMtpy |
| Actual throughput (Q1 2025) |
1.51 MMt (~4% above target) |
| Light petroleum product yield |
78.8% (2024); up from 72.2% in 2023 |
| Utilisation rate |
85.8% (2024) |
| Fuel quality standard |
K4 (Euro-4); advancing to K5+ |
| Product types |
~30 |
Process Unit Configuration
The refinery operates in a fuel-profile configuration and underwent a major three-phase modernisation programme during 2011–2018, executed under the EPC contract with China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC) at a total project cost of approximately $2.1 billion. The modernisation added new secondary processing capacity and transformed the refinery from a simple atmospheric distillation facility into a complex conversion refinery. The full post-modernisation process unit configuration includes:
Primary Processing:
Secondary / Conversion Processing:
-
Naphtha hydrotreating
-
CCR Catalytic Reforming (continuous catalyst regeneration)
-
Light naphtha isomerisation
-
Diesel hydrotreating
-
Kerosene hydrotreating / jet fuel unit
Residue / Bottom-of-Barrel Processing:
Utilities and Offsites:
-
Hydrogen production unit
-
Sulfur recovery unit (Claus process)
-
LPG treatment and gas fractionation
-
Automated gasoline blending station
-
Wastewater treatment plant
Technologies and Licensors
| Technology / Unit |
Licensor / Supplier |
| Isomerisation unit |
Honeywell UOP (USA) — explicitly confirmed in KMG press release |
| Catalytic Reforming (CCR) |
Honeywell UOP (USA) — consistent with isomerisation package |
Hydrotreating units
(diesel, kerosene, VGO, naphtha) |
Honeywell UOP (USA) — standard UOP hydrotreating suite |
| Delayed Coking Unit (DCU) |
— |
| Digital / Asset Performance Management |
ABB Ability™ — ABB Group contract signed July 2019; covers sensors,
real-time analytics, and prescriptive maintenance across refinery assets |
| EPC (Modernisation Phases 1–3) |
CPECC (China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation) — primary EPC contractor;
Rominserv (Romania/KMG International) — secondary EPC |
Design engineering
(Expansion project) |
East China Engineering Design Institute (ECEDI, SINOPEC subsidiary) — confirmed for 12 MMtpy expansion FEED, commenced February 2026 |
Over 90% of the equipment for the modernisation project was supplied from China, reflecting the CNPC-KMG joint venture's procurement orientation toward Chinese suppliers.
Expansion Project (2026–2030)
Kazakhstan and China formally commenced work on the 12 MMtpy expansion project in February 2026, with PKOP presenting initial technical data and East China Engineering Design Institute (ECEDI) confirmed as the FEED contractor. The expansion follows a "6+6" configuration — two parallel processing trains of 6 MMtpy each, fully integrated with existing facilities.
Key expansion parameters:
| Parameter |
Value |
| Expansion target capacity |
12 MMtpy (from current 6 MMtpy) |
| Target completion |
2030 |
| Total investment |
~$6 billion |
| Additional gasoline production |
+700,000 t/y |
| Additional jet fuel production |
+700,000 t/y |
| Additional diesel production |
+3.9 MMt/y |
| Fuel quality standard |
Euro-5 (K5+) |
| Design institute |
East China Engineering Design Institute (ECEDI) |
| Financing |
China Eximbank / China Development Bank
(pending confirmation) |
Product Slate
The refinery's current output encompasses:
-
Motor gasoline (AI-92, AI-95, AI-98; Euro-4/K4 standard)
-
Diesel fuel (summer and winter grades; Euro-4/K4)
-
Jet kerosene (TS-1; Jet A)
-
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
-
Fuel oil (mazut)
-
Petroleum bitumen
-
Petroleum coke
-
Vacuum gasoil (VGO)
-
Commercial sulfur
-
Butane-butylene fraction (BBS) — supplied to ShChC LLP as MTBE feedstock
