The period of 90´s

In 1991, SLOVNAFT launched a hydrocracking production unit that enabled more effective and deeper oil processing within its given capacity – 800 thousand tonnes of raw material a year. At the same time, isomerisation of light petrols was added to the existing processes with an annual capacity of 250 thousand tonnes of isomerate – a high-octane component that enabled blanket production of lead-free petrols. Petrols – one of the main SLOVNAFT´s commodities – were pushed to a new quality by another upgrade project, reforming with a continual catalyst regeneration, which was started up in March 1998. The SLOVNAFT´s technological level enabled to produce, since May 1997, solely low-sulphur diesel fuel with a sulphur content up to 0.05 %(weight) which, together with the production of lead-free petrols, made a significant contribution to the environmental protection.

The technological transformation of SLOVNAFT in the 90´s of the past century took its course against major social changes initiated in 1989 that were reflected in the restoration of the legal form of a joint stock company and subsequent privatisation under the direction of a management and employees owned joint stock company named Slovintegra. With the transformation of the proprietary structure, company own business operations started to develop from oil purchase up to running the network of filling stations. In the production site itself, investments were made not only in the production technologies but also in information systems and blanket computer network, which resulted in improved management of the production, storage and shipment of products. A high quality of motor fuels and an increasing flexibility of their supplies to the home market and to the markets of neighbouring countries created a promising initial position for long-term prosperity in the incipient market environment. In 1995, the company management decided to crown the upgrading process by implementation of an ambitious EFPA project (Environmental Fuel Project Apollo) whose substance consisted in installation of conversion capacities for processing of heavy residues from atmospheric and vacuum distillation.