SOCAR Downstream begins pre-project assessment of modernization of the only refinery in Congo

SOCAR Downstream, part of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), has been selected as the Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the National Oil Company of Congo (SNPC).

As reported by Report, this was announced by SOCAR Downstream Managing Director Emil Alkhasli. This officially launches the Pre-FEED stage - the preliminary design and feasibility assessment phase - as part of the large-scale modernization of the CORAF refinery in the Republic of Congo.

This project is being carried out in the context of deepening partnership ties between SOCAR and SNPC (which is the owner of the CORAF refinery).

"Beyond the technical component, this cooperation has become a way of building ties between Azerbaijan and Congo - through understanding different cultures, finding common ground, identifying synergies and shared [values]," E. Alkhasli emphasized.

On April 4, 2024, in Baku, SOCAR and SNPC signed the "Terms of Agreement for the Improvement and Expansion of the Congolaise de Raffinage Refinery."

According to this document, SOCAR specialists are engaged to analyze the current technical condition of the facility in order to determine key areas of support for SNPC in upgrading its production capacities.

The design capacity of the CORAF refinery reaches 27 thousand barrels of oil per day, while the actual processing volume currently stands at approximately 20 thousand bpd (equivalent to less than 1 million tons annually). Over 50% of the petroleum products produced at the facility are used to meet the domestic market demand of the Republic of Congo.

The plant is located in the coastal city of Pointe-Noire on the country's Atlantic coast. The refinery has been operating since December 1982 and to this day remains the only oil refinery in the country. The Republic of Congo has been a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) since 2018, and its proven oil reserves are estimated at 1.8 billion barrels.

Since 2023, the trading division of the Azerbaijani state company - SOCAR Trading - has been handling the sale of oil and part of the petroleum products from the CORAF refinery on international markets.