Shell to open Tver lubricants plant in February

Shell will open the long-delayed lubricant blending plant in the Torzhok, Tver region, in February, the Tver regional development department said. The Tver region is 225 km northwest of Moscow. The company first announced the construction of the plant in April 2010 and said that commercial production was expected by the end of that year. The original plant opening was postponed due to design changes and delays with contract work and supplies, according to Shell. The opening was then pushed back to the end of 2011, but was postponed again due to a leadership change and permitting delays, an official from the Tver regional development department said. The Shell lube blending plant is the first to be built by an international oil company in Russia. Total investment in the plant is US$100 million. Plant capacity is 200 million liters per year, which will mostly supply the domestic Russian market. (January 13, 2012)