PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF PETROLEUM BITUMEN PRODUCTION

Abstract. The world production petroleum bitumen for road construction is considered. The problems and prospects of the bitumen production in the world and Russia are shown.At present leading positions on Russian bitumen market occupy the companies Gazprom Oil, Rosneft and Lukoyl. They cover nearly 80% of total volume of bitumen production in the RF.In world road construction practice the residual road oil bitumen is basically used, from which more than 80% of motor roads are built in the west.The significant quality growth of oil bitumen was the result of the appearance of modified and polymeric-bitumen bindings(PBB). Amongst block polymer of the styrene (SBC - styrene block copolymer), used in road construction, the main modifier for production of polymer-modified bitumen in the world is butadiene styrene thermoelastolayer SBS (SBS - styrene butadiene styrene).In 2014 at Moscow NPZ the installation on production PMB of new generation G-Way Styrelf is launched. The installation was built by the joint-venture Gazprom Oil" and French concern Total and is considered to produce 60 thousand tons of PMB and 7 thousand tons of bitumen emulsion per annum. The production is realized in accordance with technology Styrelf, designed by concern Total and adapted to Russian climatic conditions. The Russian bitumen is in demand on foreign market as well.