Oil refineries of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ produce a wide range of popular, high-quality products for all means of transport and many types of industrial equipment.
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ considers the continuous search for opportunities to improve properties of its products and to proactively meet the needs of the markets where such products are sold as its strategic task.
Over the entire lifecycle of its products the Company applies advanced technology and best practice aiming at the sustainable use of natural resources, energy saving and reducing waste and contamination. Certified quality management systems are in place in À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ entities applicable to specific groups of products. In all entities engaged in refining and sales of oil products corporate standards were approved covering the quality control system, including the process of incoming, operational and acceptance control, control of non-conforming products, quality control of products during their storage and transportation, procurement management, etc. The conformity of finished products to regulatory requirements and specifications is confirmed by certificates/passports of quality issued for each product on the basis of laboratory and other tests.
The consumer relations system is being constantly improved to make sure that needs of our customers are fully met. Surveys are conducted annually to measure customer satisfaction with products and services and a process of reviewing customer claims and complaints was introduced.
A system of continuous improvements is in place at the level of PJSC À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, the Lean Six Sigma methodology is being introduced. This approach encompasses quality management concepts of Lean Manufacturing which focuses on avoiding losses and non-productive costs, and Six Sigma which aims at reducing the variability of process indicators and stabilizing properties of products.
The quality management systems are certified in accordance with international, Russian and industry standards. Internal audits of the quality management systems are carried out every year at all production facilities and test laboratories.
Technical rules and industrial standards which are strictly observed by the entities of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ contain mandatory requirements to the quality and market distribution of fuel and lubricants which aim at protecting life and health of consumers as well establish the allowable level of environmental impact. The conformity of every batch of products to requirements of the standards is confirmed by a certificate/passport of quality.
| ISO 9001 | All refineries, aircraft refueling and lubricant producing entities are certified under this standard |
| IATF 16949 (standard of the International Automotive Task Force industry organization) | The standard establishes requirements to quality management systems of suppliers that procure products for the automobile industry. Certificates were issued to relevant entities of the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Group |
Refineries have a quality control system in place that provides for the centralized collection, keeping and processing of information but is developed separately for each group of products. Raw materials, additives and chemicals supplied by third parties are subject to the incoming quality control.
The following procedures apply to suppliers of materials and equipment used, for example, for the production of chemical agents:
incoming control of materials and equipment to check their conformity to the declared parameters;
technical audit of suppliers;
joint investigation of failures involving supplier's representative;
multilevel control of supplied raw materials and storage rules for raw materials and finished products.
Incoming control includes taking official samples, control of raw materials before their handover to production and control of finished products, including official samples.
Blending formulas for fuel products are set with the use of an intelligent system depending on the assortment, production plan and season.
Products blended according to preset formulas are sent to storage tanks and certificates/passports for them are issued in line with requirements of national standards.
The quality of products is assessed with the use of virtual analyzers and is verified in the Central Plant Laboratory.
The majority of product flows in refineries are equipped with flow analyzers to measure the quality of future products.
The Company is making continuous efforts to maintain the stable quality of its products.A plan of pilot tests of new and alternative additives and chemical agents is approved every year.
Cooperation is ongoing with Russian scientific research institutes to develop new formulas of fuel, motor oils and technical fluids in line with quality requirements of respective national standards and latest market trends.
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ participates in the Work Groups of the Russian Ministry of Energy that are in charge of monitoring and assuring the quality of products of gas processing plants and refineries.
The range of refining products is constantly updated to include new products with improved technical and environmental performance. Innovative products are available for marine vessels, aviation and industrial sector.
100% of motor fuels comply with Euro-5 standards.
Products of combustion of the ECTO and ECTO+ motor fuels contain less sulfur compounds. The ECTO 100 gasoline allows for reducing the consumption of fuel by up to 6% and СО2 emissions by up to 3%.
Fuels containing biocomponents are supplied to European countries.
The Company produces marine and bunkering fuel with low content of sulfur (no more than 0.1-0.2% and no less than 0.5%).
In accordance with the corporate standards, the Company arranges for the proper acceptance, storage and distribution of fuel products at its oil depots and petrol stations and their transportation by trucks, including:
establishing proper conditions for storing finished products and their transportation;
laboratory control of product quality during storage;
final control of products ready to be shipped.
Entities of the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Group strictly abide by requirements of the corporate standards which guarantees that technical characteristics of products conform to the specifications and technical rules throughout the entire period of their storage and shipping.
À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ fully controls the process of handover and acceptance of oil products to/from the transport systems operated by Transneft and RZD and with due care arranges for their acceptance, storage and sales at own oil depots and petrol stations.
Motor Fuel
The in-house automated management system is in place that guarantees the delivery of the required quantity and quality of oil products and makes it possible to track electronically the movement of products from the refinery to the end consumer. The system allows for enhancing the safety of transportation, reducing losses in quantity and quality of products, preventing fraud during transportation and distribution of fake products.
A Petrol Station Monitoring Center analyzes activities of petrol stations connected to the network down to every fuel truck, tank and operator. À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's test laboratories are fitted with equipment to control the quality of products at all stages (acceptance at oil depots, transportation from oil depots to petrol stations and sales at petrol stations). In addition, mobile laboratories and fuel sampling vehicles are used for scheduled and unscheduled sampling at petrol stations and oil depots. Petrol stations undergo required maintenance and repair.
OOO LIKARD has a central function of setting standards and unifying activities of sales entities and business processes supporting core operations. Electronic training courses and guidelines for petrol station personnel are developed.
Aviation Fuel
The quality control system covering À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ's aircraft refueling facilities in airports and airfields aims primarily at promoting the safety of flights and includes a set of measures to maintain the high quality of jet fuel, lubricants and other fluids during their acceptance, storage, preparation for release for refueling and refueling of aircrafts.
The internal inspection control is carried out regularly, including the monthly control of fuel and lubricants quality, use of process equipment and tools and professional skills of personnel.
Laboratories of the Company are fitted with modern equipment intended for the control over the quality of fuel and lubricants at all stages as well as for the analysis of waste fuel and lubricants and samples of fuel and lubricants taken in connection with incidents involving civil aircrafts. In Russia, the State Scientific Research Institute of Civil Aviation tests aviation fuel supplied by À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ on a quarterly basis.
Bunkering Fuel
Analytical laboratories that test chemical and physical properties of marine fuels are accredited with Russian and international certifications. Sampling and analysis is performed in strict compliance with industry standards.
The main quality and quantity control points for petroleum products cover refineries and transshipment terminals. Key quality parameters test and quality control is carried out in onshore tanks, railway tankers and oil tankers. Terminals perform quality and quantity control for incoming petroleum products and those transshipped to vessels and motor vehicles.
Data received from independent surveyors on the results of laboratory tests and inspections is monitored and analyzed on a daily basis, which allows to respond promptly to possible deviations in quality of petroleum products from contractual specifications and take timely risk mitigation measures.