TAIF-NK oil refinery’s core value
The third part of the cycle of articles about the enterprise is about workers
TAIF-NK. It is not only a modern factory, large equipment and complex units. First of all, it is people united by a common idea who know to make correct and brave decisions. Today we are talking about the oil refinery’s employees — the heart of the enterprise that has been long considered a real talent pool. More than one generation of successful managers were brought up here. Read in Realnoe Vremya’s report whose hands today is created in the plant with.
Road to big world of oil refinery
TAIF-NK JSC oil refinery has played an important role in the economy of Tatarstan since its foundation. Back in 1997, TAIF JSC quickly modernised the production with its own money in the leased ELOU-AVT-7 primary oil refining plant and then purchased it.
Two years later, the plant reached the installed capacity of 7 million tonnes of oil a year. The quality and conversion rate improved. Despite the difficulties — by the way, there was a swamp instead of the modern-day oil refinery — the construction of the latest units was full swing, and large-scale modernisation started later.
“Engineers had to work hard so that the unit had a medium distillate hydro treatment complex, vicbreaking unit. A bitumen unit was built at the same time, commodities and feedstock depots were expanded. A huge job was done — one shop grew into a huge factory with the existing assortment of oil products today,” says Director of TAIF-NK JSC Vladimir Lakhomov.
Thousands of employees of the enterprise participated in the formation of the modern oil refinery, many of whom still work for the good of their enterprise. Shift Foreman of Shop No. 3 Ramil Valeyev is a veteran of the factory. He joined the oil refinery 21 years ago as chief operator. He says oil refining became the business of his life.
“The factory is my life. I am from Almetyevsk. I came to Nizhnekamsk to conquer petrochemistry. But I worked at Nizhnekamskneftekhim little. I was told a new plant was built. We went for a job interview there. I was told I suited with my experience and knowledge. I came here as chief operator, then I became shift foreman. This level was fine for me and then I took up the educational work,” Valeyev recalls.
Today Ramil Valeyev is unofficially called the second director of the oil refinery. In the last two decades, he has trained a lot of young specialists, passed his knowledge to them, opened the road to the big world of petrochemistry.
“Almost all employees of the oil refinery are my students, so to speak, more than a half for sure. Even the managers. And my boss now — Shop No. 3 Director Shaymardanov Lenar. Once I administered his exam. As if I knew he would be my boss, I put him an A (laughing). And shift directors are my students. All the youth coming here listen to my instructions, receive my blessing. They always come to me if they have some questions, if they don’t understand something. I am the oldest one here,” Ramil Valeyev says with pride.
Ramil Valeyev warmly remembers the first years of working in the enterprise, how the medium distillate hydro treatment facility — the hydrogen unit — was built.
It is designed to make hydrogen with the method of steam catalytic conversion of natural gases. The project with a capacity of 16,200 tonnes a year was launched in 2002. As a result of renovation in 2013, the capacity of the unit rose to 19,200 tonnes of hydrogen a year.
“Launchers tested it for 72 hours and left, while we then tried to sort it out like blind kittens,” he says.
Ramil Valeyev’s impressions of the construction of sulphur recovery with granulation unit are no less bright. It was put into operation in January 2003. As a result of the renovation in2014, the installed capacity of the unit increased from 35,14 to 55,113 tonnes of granulated sulphur a year.
“I remember how first sulphur was made. We made a medal — pressed liquid sulphur and declared such a day, Sulphur Day. We gathered on this day every year, in autumn, in September, for picnic in nature. We played football, volleyball,” the factory’s veteran remembers.
Road for the youth
The factory’s veterans pass the traditions to new generations. The staff of the oil refinery has significantly become younger in the last few years. Equipment operator Artur Sharifullin joined the oil refinery 1,5 years ago, immediately after graduating from the petrochemical college. He followed in his father’s footsteps.
“My father works here. He insisted on choosing this place when I thought where to work. I did practice here and everything was familiar. So I decided to work here. Everybody is supporting regardless of age. There are social guarantees, a good salary, stability,” he stresses.
Artur did on-the-job practice here. He was warmly welcomed, told about the intricacies of work in the factory, was introduced to the staff.
“I have been for almost 1,5 years here. In general over this time I have obtained a lot of knowledge. I learn, study something new in different spheres every time during my shift. Over these 1,5 years, I have managed to upgrade my qualification. Our enterprise refers all young workers to upgrade the qualification. Consequently, we do training in our local college. We get diplomas some time later, sit exams and upgrade our qualification,” notes Artur.
He plans to become a shift director. In the near future, Artur Sharifullin is going to enter a university. The young man is sure everybody can build a career at TAIF-NK JSC. The most important things are a desire, hard work and diligence. His mentor, the factory’s veteran Ramil Valeyev also agrees with him:
“If you have ambitions, a desire, a career can be developed at TAIF-NK. Anybody can. And we welcome the youth everywhere if you aren't lazy. This is how it should be. So here it works this way: if you meet somebody halfway, they rush to meet you halfway,” he says.
From operator to director general
The enterprise has a lot of examples of how ordinary workers went up the career ladder step by step. Director General of TAIF-NK JSC Maxim Novikov started his career as equipment operator in the oil refinery. Then he worked as shift director, vice director of the shop, vice chief engineer, then was chief engineer for five years and then the road brought him to the management of TAIF-NK.
“It is very important when a person goes through all stages in professional development. When you go up as operator, you know who operators are, you know the specifics of the production. Therefore every step matters. In the end, this even helps in the management because you know how your task will be understood, how it will be performed. There must be one, clear goal. Roads to this goal can be different, of course. But the final result must be positive and high-quality,” stresses Director General of TAIF-NK JSC Maxim Novikov.
Director of the oil refinery Vladimir Lakhomov also started his career as operator.
“My career began as fifth-category operator at TAIF-NK oil refinery. By the way, our Director General Mr Novikov and Chief Engineer of the enterprise Alexey Khramov also come from the oil refinery. And there are plenty of such examples. Many directors of our plants and managers grew up here, they made themselves and appreciate their job,” says Director of the oil refinery Vladimir Lakhomov.
United and professional staff
The oil refinery has had very united and friendly staff over the long years of activity. For factory workers, it is prestigious to work in a modern, constantly developing enterprise that cares about its employees and pays a good salary.
An extended package of social guarantees is one of the measures of support for the enterprise’s workers. It includes not only guarantees envisaged by labour legislation but also additional payments created by the company’s local acts. The workers are provided different types of social payouts funded by the enterprise.
According to the company’s resolution, the workers of the oil refinery annually do training, upgrade the qualification, participate in professional skill contests and show decent results each time.
So at the latest republican competition of skilled jobs where more than 600 people all over Tatarstan and neighbouring regions competed, the oil refinery’s workers won medals. Worker of the oil refinery Bulat Nasibullin was first in welding, his colleague and representative of the oil refinery Rustem Khosnullin finished second in this nomination.
Professional growth and creation of new competences is one of the key areas of work at TAIF-NK JSC. The company tries to give the employees instruments for development and create conditions for bringing their talent to light. The oil refinery is rightly considered a leader in staff development and has a lot of possibilities for career development.
To be continued
Part one From ‘Second Baku’ to the present: history of Tatarstan oil refining
Part two TAIF-NK refinery: from naphtha and mazut to Euro 5