Xinjiang petrochemical company meets half of domestic white oil demand

Leveraging cutting-edge refining technology, Karamay Petrochemical of China National Petroleum Corporation has achieved large-scale output of white oil, providing domestic raw materials to cosmetics, food processing, and personal care products.

White oil, or light mineral oil, is classified into industrial-grade, cosmetic-grade, food-grade, and vaccine-grade varieties. It is widely used in detergent raw materials, cosmetics, daily chemical diluents, and adjuvant for poultry vaccines.

Karamay Petrochemical boasts a production capacity of around 200,000 tons of white oil, meeting about 50 percent of domestic demand.

Li Rong, the company's chief expert, said they began white oil research in the 1990s and achieved initial production scale by 2010. With the commissioning of a 150,000-ton-per-year white oil hydrogenation unit in 2022, the company established China's largest premium white oil production base.

The product line now covers food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, vaccines, and other sectors, with domestic vaccine-grade white oil successfully replacing imported alternatives.

"Our initial purpose is simple: to transform Xinjiang's unique resources into high-value products that meet national needs," said Li.

Established in 1959, Karamay Petrochemical has an annual crude oil processing capacity of 6 million tons. It has developed over 40 white oil products across five series, capturing nearly half of China's high-end white oil market. As a world-class naphthenic base oil hub, the company is also a production base for heavy oil processing, high-end lubricants, and asphalt.