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AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

SAR renovations near completion

SENEGAL SENEGAL’S sole oil refinery is undergoing
a major renovation project that will increase
capacity at the facility and allow it to meet a
larger share of domestic fuel demand.
Current capacity at the Societe Africaine de
Raffinage (SAR) facility in Dakar sits at 24,000
barrels per day (bpd), and plans have been
mooted at various stages over the past decade.
SAR is majority-owned by Senegalese state
oil firm Petrosen (46%), with financier Locaf-
rique (34%), Sahara Energy Resources (8.18%),
TotalEnergies (6.82%) and local trader ITOC SAR’s throughput capacity currently stands at 24,000 bpd (File Photo)
(5%) holding the remaining equity.
After delays relating to the pandemic, turna- ongoing, with TechnipFMC and SAP hired to
round maintenance (TAM) and expansion work oversee ongoing maintenance and to digitise
finally kicked off in November 2021, with plans operations respectively.
showing that capacity will be increased to 30,000 Dakar is keen to ramp up downstream capac-
bpd through debottlenecking, the expansion of ity further as launch nears on the country’s San-
the catalytic reformer and the addition of a new gomar oilfield and the Grand Tortue/Ahmeyim
preflash unit. At that point, the four-month pro- (GTA) natural gas asset shared with Maurita-
gramme had been expected to be completed by nia. Plans are in place to raise SAR’s capacity
the end of March. to 50,000 bpd, which would more than cater to
Shareholder disagreements over a proposed Senegal’s current 32,000 bpd domestic demand
recapitalisation slowed progress, but a court and allow it to export the excess.
ruling in December gave the project the green This would require the addition of a hydro-
light with the backing of Africa Finance Corp. cracking unit, bringing the facility into compli-
(AFC), and the project is understood to remain ance with international standards. ™

Dangote hoping for 2023 refinery start-up

NIGERIA THE head of Nigeria’s Dangote Group told the
country’s president that a new mega refinery
near the capital Lagos is expected to be commis-
sioned before next year’s elections.
Following a meeting at the presidential villa
in Abuja, Aliko Dangote said that the $19bn,
650,000 barrel per day (bpd) Dangote Refinery
should be completed by the end of the current
administration. “By the grace of God, Mr Pres-
ident will come and commission it (refinery)
before the end of his term next year.”
The comment appears to temper expec-
tations that the facility, which may boost the
Nigerian economy and turn the country from
an importer of petroleum products to a net Dangote oil refinery construction site (Photo: Twitter/@DangoteGroup)
exporter, will begin operations this year.
Construction work at the refinery is com- that “75% hydraulic testing ... as well as 70% of
plete and testing is ongoing ahead of the com- electrical cable fitting have been completed pre-
mencement of refining operations. Dangote said paratory to the completion of the refinery in the
in February that the unit would come on stream fourth quarter of this year.”
in September at an initial capacity of 540,000 Expectations for the refinery’s impact are
bpd, ramping up to full capacity in early 2023. high and the Governor of the Central Bank of
Meanwhile, Dangote Group executive for Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, reiterated optimism
strategy, capital projects and portfolio devel- that the Dangote unit will significantly reduce
opment Devakumar Edwin said in late March Nigeria’s commodity import bill.

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 17 27•April•2022