Vers une production supplémentaire de 3,7 millions de tonnes

Towards an additional production of 3.7 million tonnes

oil Thanks to the rehabilitation of refineries

The program for the rehabilitation and adaptation of refineries in the North of the country has made it possible to increase national oil refining capacities from 27 million tons in 2018 to 30.7 million tons in 2023, representing an additional production of 3.7 million tons, said yesterday Wednesday in Algiers, the vice-president of the refining and petrochemical activity of Sonatrach, Slimane Slimani.
Mr. Slimani, who was speaking on the airwaves of Radio Chaîne III of Algerian Radio, on the program ”The guest of the editorial staff”, specified that these figures were achieved thanks to Sonatrach’s strategy aimed at promoting the refining and petrochemical activity, through a program of rehabilitation and adaptation of refineries in the North of the country, which has allowed a clear evolution of production. In this context, he stressed that the processing of crude oil increased from 27 million tons in 2018 to 30.7 million tons in 2023, adding that the production of gasoline increased by 2.2 million tons, while that of diesel increased from 7.8 million tons to 10.8 million tons during the same period. This allowed, according to the guest of the editorial staff, “a total satisfaction of the needs of the local market including for kerosene, the import of which has ceased since 2020.”
Mr. Slimani stressed that 3 billion dollars were mobilized for the realization of this program of rehabilitation and adaptation of refineries, in particular that of Skikda, the largest in processing capacity (16.5 million tons), as well as those of Arzew and Algiers. Below raising their production capacities, “the program has also made it possible to increase their lifespan by more than 15 years, as well as the sustainability of their production,” said the same official. In this sense, he detailed that “the industrial safety of these refineries was also strengthened at the end of the program, in addition to the adaptation of the systems of these units to the environmental regulations in force, particularly in terms of discharges.” Addressing the project to build the new refinery in Hassi Messaoud, Mr. Slimani stressed that the project, impacted in particular by the repercussions of the health crisis (Covid-19), has been relaunched, stressing that this unit will enter production “at the end of 2027”. This refinery will produce, according to him, additional quantities of 2.7 million tons of diesel and 1.2 million tons of gasoline.
Djamila Sai