Developed patented cold cracking plants for the upgrading of heavy oil at ambient temperature.
Pristec AG
Vienna (AT) · Tallinn (EE)New on Amplifa
About Pristec AG
Founded in Vienna in 2006, Pristec AG was a technology company for the global heavy oil industry. At its core was the patented Pristec Cold Cracking process, which uses acoustic energy at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure to reduce the density, sulfur content, viscosity and metal contents of heavy oil, fuel oil and marine fuels. The Cold Cracking Units consist of a Carbon Cracker pump with activator plus an adjoining Hydrogen Exciter and were manufactured by certified industrial production partners. Intended applications were the reduction of diluent requirements at the wellhead, the upgrading of fuel oil at the terminal and the treatment of marine fuels at sea. Industrial tests with units of 5,000 barrels per day capacity were carried out from 2012; in 2014 the company signed an agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on the deployment of the technology in China. In 2020, insolvency proceedings were opened (assets insufficient to cover costs); the company was deleted from the Austrian commercial register on 17.04.2026.
- Site
- Vienna
- Processes
- Pristec Cold Cracking oil upgrading process (acoustic energy at ambient temperature and, Cold cracking oil upgrading technology (patented), Carbon Cracker (cracker, reformer, hydrotreater in one), Hydrogen Exciter, Upgrading of heavy oil/fuel oil at the terminal, Upgrading of marine fuels at sea, Reduction of diluent requirement at the wellhead
- Materials
- Heavy Crude / Heavy Oil, Fuel Oil, Marine Fuels, Heavy Crude, Pristec Cold Cracking Unit
- Founded
- 2006
- Employees
- 51-200 (LinkedIn)
- Industries
- Oil and Gas, Heavy Oil Upgrading, Refineries, Shipping (Marine Fuels), Heavy Oil Upgrading (Upstream, Midstream, Downstream)
- 01
Patenting and development of the cold cracking process
- 02
Manufacture of the Cold Cracking Units by certified production partners
- 03
Installation along the oil value chain (wellhead, terminal, at sea)
- 04
Operation and upgrading of heavy oil/fuel oil/marine fuels
Processed Materials and Processes
Heavy Crude
Feedstock for cold cracking upgrading to reduce density, sulfur and viscosity.
Fuel Oil
Upgrading at the terminal to reduce diluent addition required to reach 380 or 180 CST.
Marine Fuels
Treatment of marine fuels directly at sea.
Pristec Cold Cracking Unit
Patented unit consisting of a Carbon Cracker (pump + activator) and a Hydrogen Exciter for cracking, reforming and hydrotreating in a single unit.
Sites
Vienna
ATHeadquarters
Tallinn
EEPristec Upgrader at the VESTA Terminal
- Materials
- Fuel Oil
- Pristec Cold Cracking Unit (Carbon Cracker + Hydrogen Exciter)
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pristec Cold Cracking oil upgrading process (acoustic energy at ambient temperature andOther | – | – | – | – | Heavy Oil, Heavy Crude Oil, Fuel Oil, Marine Fuels |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pristec Cold Cracking Unit (Carbon Cracker pump + activator and Hydrogen Exciter) | Pristec (manufactured by certified industrial production partners) | – | – | – | among others VESTA Terminal Tallinn, Estonia |
| Cold cracking unit with 5000 barrels per day processing capacity | Pristec | – | 5000 barrels/day | – | industrial tests since 2012 |
Additional services
Reference customers
History
- 2006
Founded in Vienna as Pristec Unternehmensentwicklung und Beteiligung AG (commercial register entry 23.02.2006, FN 275011d).
- 2009
Renamed Pristec AG (28.05.2009).
- 2012
Start of industrial tests with units of 5,000 barrels per day processing capacity.
- 2014
Agreement with China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) on the deployment of cold cracking units in China (07.11.2014; volume of several billion US$, term of 20 years after a 90-day test run).
- 2016
Patent: method for setting the operating point; share capital €150,000.
- 2019
Patent: method and system for treating a mineral oil; share capital €185,000.
- 2020
14.10.2020 opening of insolvency proceedings; 27.10.2020 determination that assets were insufficient to cover costs.
- 2024
20.03.2024 publication of the insolvency administrator and distribution schedule in the commercial register.
- 2026
17.04.2026 deletion of the company from the commercial register.