To understand the approaches of Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Limited Liability Company (NSRP) in maintaining a stable oil and gas supply and advancing sustainable growth, Newspaper of Industry and Trade's (Công Thương)'s reporter Thu Hường conducted a swift dialogue with the company's General Director So Hasegawa.

So Hasegawa, General Director of Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical Limited Liability Company

Vietnam has placed priority on ensuring a robust supply of petrol in 2024 to avoid any fuel shortages during the dry season. As Vietnam’s largest oil refinery, what is the role of NSRP in ensuring the supply sources of petroleum products in the domestic market this year?

In recent years, the production activities of NSRP refinery have demonstrated commendable stability, enabling NSRP to cater to over 35% of the nation's petroleum requirements.

However, the global economic and political landscape has witnessed a surge in complexity, consequently exerting a direct impact on both the domestic and international crude oil and product supply chains.

Notably, BSR's compelled suspension of the Dung Quat Oil Refinery for a duration this year owing to turnaround exemplifies this situation. NSRP consistently prioritizes the importance of ensuring safe and reliable refinery operations, optimizing capacity, and enhancing petroleum production to meet the growing demand of the domestic market.

NSRP has recently surpassed 15 million safe man hours without any lost time injury (LTI). How does this achievement contribute to the stable operations of the NSRP refinery and the sustainable development of the company?

Achieving over 15 million safe man hours without any lost time injury (LTI) is a significant milestone for NSRP, contributing remarkably to stable and effective operation of the Refinery. It reinforces the company's commitment to safety, leading to a culture of prioritizing safety and efficiency, and increased hazard awareness among employees of the Company and contractors while working in the refinery.

NSRP is contributing to securing the domestic market's oil and gas supply

NSRP consistently reinforces its leadership role and provides strategic guidance to optimize the Refinery's operational stability and maximize its production capacity. This proactive approach yields significant cost savings across various areas, including human resources, support services, and maintenance and repair expenditures for equipment, thereby enhancing product performance and significantly contributing to helping the company gradually overcome obstacles.

NSRP has also successfully delivered the Diesel Oil 10ppm to the domestic market with an ultra-low Sulphur content of only 10 parts per million (ppm). Could you shed more light on this eco-friendly product? How do the company's R&D efforts for innovative and eco-friendly products help realize Vietnam's net-zero goals?

Apart from this D10 product, we are currently undertaking initiatives, including the development of new technologies, to ensure that all our petroleum products at NSRP attain Euro V level within the coming years.

Moreover, we have proactively implemented a transformation program aimed at fostering research and introducing innovative measures to enhance both our production and operational efficiency.

For example, the implementation of energy-saving programs has resulted in reduced fuel consumption and subsequently lowered emissions during the Refinery's daily production activities.

NSRP is actively researching techniques to enhance the refinery's capacity by 15 to 20%. What are some potential solutions and techniques NSRP pursuing to increase the refinery's capacity?

NSRP places utmost priority on maintaining the safe and stable operation of the refinery, consistently striving to enhance its performance.

The company maintains a strong collaborative relationship with the licensors to engage in in-depth discussions regarding technical matters. Additionally, comprehensive evaluations of equipment operating conditions are conducted to facilitate research and improvement efforts, aiming at ensuring the refinery’s operational stability at high capacity within the prescribed safety limits.

During the Turnaround conducted in late 2023, NSRP has successfully introduced several significant initiatives to execute modification and debottlenecking projects. The primary objective of these endeavors is to enhance the reliability of equipment in each unit, thereby ensuring the refinery's stable operation at optimal capacity.

NSRP adheres to rigorous compliance measures by strictly controlling the Management of Change (MOC) process, Hazard and Operability Analysis (HAZOP) to identify and mitigate potential safety hazards in production operations.

NSRP prioritizes maintaining the refinery's safe and stable operations above all

Could you share the performance of the refinery in the first quarter of 2024? What is NSRP's plan to overcome challenges and ensure a stable supply of petrol in the coming quarters?

In the first quarter of 2024, NSRP accomplished a noteworthy feat by producing 2.73 million cubic meters of gasoline and oil products and delivering 2.65 million cubic meters to the market (surpassing the predefined plan at 100% operational capacity by approximately 25%).

Looking ahead, the Company remains resolute in its commitment to ensuring the safe and stable operation of the refinery to maintain optimal production and business efficiency, while simultaneously ensure a reliable and steady supply of gasoline for the domestic market.

To accomplish our objectives, in addition to bolster internal management and administration, enhance the capabilities of the staffs, we require strong support from authorities, sponsors, lenders, crude oil suppliers, and product off-takers to effectively address pertinent matters and expedite the sale of our products in a timely manner.