Uzbekistan plans giant leap in refining

The country is looking to bring its refining industry up to modern standards, but it needs to resolve the problem of oil supply

Uzbekistan is preparing to expand and upgrade its oil refineries to bolster its fuel security, energy minister Alisher Sultanov tells Petroleum Economist. The move represents a massive step for the country’s downstream sector, which has been largely stagnating for years. The Central Asian state has two main refineries, located in Bukhara and Fergana, with a total nameplate throughput capacity of 8.95mn t/yr (180,000bl/d). But the state-run facilities—which are in poor condition and rely on outdated technology—cannot actually process this much oil, Sultanov says. As a result, the Fergana refinery is loss-making. The poor state of its refineries means Uzbekistan has to rely on imports to cover