Last week, on the threshold of the national holiday - State Flag Day, a new processing unit for the production of road bitumen was put into operation at the Seidi Refinery. The project has been implemented by the company - “Westport Trading Europe Limited” (USA). The complex occupies the area of 1, 5 hectares and is tooled with the most advanced equipment. Computers with special software ensure a high level of automation of the facility, control and operate technological processes. The facility has an annual capacity of processing 118, 000 tons of residual fuel that will be used to produce 37,200 tons of high quality petroleum bitumen yearly. It is the first processing unit in Turkmenistan. Its operation is based on the visbreaking of crude oil, which enables to refine heavy petroleum residues, that is wastes left after oil refining and extraction of components necessary for the production of main types of oil products. The use of visbreaking process at the Seidi Refinery will enable not only to step up bitumen production, but also to increase the depth of oil refining and respectively, efficiency of the use of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.