Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) announced that it has successfully completed the commissioning of a specialised coker unit as part of its Carbon Black and Coker Project.

The development comes as the national oil company moves ahead with its aggressive downstream strategy to increase the production of petrochemical products to supply it to growth markets in Asia including China.

In a statement on Sunday, Adnoc said that Carbon Black & Coker Project incorporates a coker, known in the oil and gas industry as a ‘delayed coker’, that will allow Adnoc Refining to recover highly specialised and valuable grades of carbon black and calcined coke that is used in industries.

“The successful commissioning of the coker project, along with the production of the first Green coke created in the UAE, will improve Adnoc Refining’s margins by maximising value from every barrel of crude oil that we refine,” said Jasem Ali Al Sayegh, CEO of Adnoc Refining, a subsidiary of Adnoc.

“By working with local petrochemicals and aluminium industries, and engaging new local and international customers for these high value products, we will deliver greater value to Adnoc and more broadly to the UAE economy.”

Adnoc Refining can produce 40,600 tons of two different grades of Carbon black per year, and 430,000 tons of high value anode grade calcined coke through the Carbon Black & Coker Project.

Borouge, a joint venture between Adnoc and Borealis, makes extensive use of special carbon black grades across a range of products, including high-pressure water and gas pipes, steel pipe coatings and linings, and stand-alone piping.

Calcined coke is a key ingredient in the anodes used in the electrolysis process that separates pure aluminium from bauxite ore.

Adnoc is investing Dh165 billion ($45 billion) over the next five years to create the world’s largest integrated refining and petrochemicals hub in Ruwais, where the company will convert 20 per cent of its crude to chemicals, tripling petrochemical production capacity to 14.4 million tons per year, by 2025.