Here is a list of the 10 largest oil refineries in Africa, ranked by refining capacity:
1 – Skikda Refinery (Algeria)
The Skikda refinery is an oil refinery located in Skikda, Algeria, built in 1980 by the Italian companies Snamprogetti and Saipem, assisted by the Algerian companies Sonatro, Sonatiba and SN Metal.
Located on the seafront, it benefits from the maritime traffic of the port of Skikda and can thus accommodate large tankers. It has a processing capacity of approximately 16.5 million tonnes/year, making it the largest refinery in Algeria, and is currently operated by Sonatrach.
The refinery has a capacity of 323,000 barrels per day. The production complies with the Euro V standard and the annual production capacity of the different units is :
- 3,753,800 t of naphtha ;
- 2,135,400 t of gasoline ;
- 1,500,000 t of paraffin ;
- 5,913,800 t of diesel ;
- 4,270,800 t of fuel oil ;
- 644,200 t of LPG;
- 197,300 t of Benzene ;
- 16,900 t of Toluene ;
- 220,100 t of Paraxylene.
2 - Ras Lanouf Refinery (Libya)
The Ras Lanouf refinery is an oil refinery located in Ras Lanouf, Libya. It is associated within a large petrochemical complex with ethylene and polyethylene production plants and the port of Ras Lanouf. Until 9 March 2009, the complex was operated by RASCO, a subsidiary of the National Oil Corporation (NOC). The current operator is the Libyan Emirates Oil Refining Company.
The refinery was commissioned in 1984. In 2007, it was decided to expand the refinery to produce benzene, butadiene, and MTBE4. For this purpose, the NOC entered into a contract for a joint venture with Dow Chemical. In 2008, a $2 billion contract was signed to upgrade the refinery. However, in March 2009, a contract was signed between the NOC and a subsidiary of Al Ghurair to form a joint venture, the Libyan Emirates Oil Refining Company.
The refinery has a refining capacity of 220,000 barrels per day. It produces fuel oil, petroleum gas, naphtha and paraffin. The complex also produces petrochemicals from naphtha. This includes an ethylene plant with a capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per year.
3 - Port Harcourt Refinery (Nigeria)
The Port Harcourt refinery is located in the city of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. It is owned and operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and has a refining capacity of 210,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Port Harcourt refinery is a complex refinery configuration, which means that it is capable of producing a wide range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil, naphtha, paraffin and propane. However, the refinery has experienced operational problems and has not reached its full refining capacity for years.
In addition to the main refinery, there are also petroleum product storage and distribution facilities, including storage terminals for crude oil, refined products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The Nigerian government has announced plans to modernise and rehabilitate the Port Harcourt refinery as part of its efforts to improve domestic production of petroleum products and reduce imports.
4 - Sidi Kacem Refinery (Morocco)
The Sidi Kacem refinery is located in the town of Sidi Kacem, in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region of Morocco. It is owned and operated by the Moroccan state-owned oil company Société Anonyme Marocaine de l'Industrie du Raffinage (SAMIR) and has a refining capacity of 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Sidi Kacem refinery is a complex configuration refinery, which means that it is capable of producing a wide range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil, naphtha, kerosene and propane. It is also equipped to produce fuel additives and lubricants.
In addition to the main refinery, there are also storage and distribution facilities for petroleum products, including storage terminals for crude oil, refined products and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The Sidi Kacem refinery is considered one of the most important oil refineries in North Africa.
5 - Alexandria Refinery (Egypt)
The Alexandria Refinery is located approximately 10 km northwest of Alexandria, Egypt. It was built in 1918 and is the oldest refinery in operation in Egypt. It is owned and operated by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and has a refining capacity of 182,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Alexandria refinery is a complex configuration refinery, which means that it is capable of producing a wide range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, heavy fuel oil, naphtha, kerosene and propane. It is also equipped to produce fuel additives and lubricants.
In addition to the main refinery, there is also a hydrogen desulfurization facility, a sulfur recovery unit, a wastewater treatment unit and petroleum product storage and distribution facilities.
6 - Durban SAPREF Refinery (South Africa)
The Durban refinery SAPREF (South African Petroleum Refinery) is a joint venture between Shell and BP located in the port city of Durban, South Africa. SAPREF was established in 1960 and is now the largest refinery in sub-Saharan Africa, with a processing capacity of 180,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The SAPREF refinery produces a range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
SAPREF's Durban refinery is known as a modern, well-equipped facility with a strong commitment to safety and environmental sustainability. It is also considered one of the most efficient and cost-effective refineries in sub-Saharan Africa.
7 - Mostorod Refinery (Egypt)
Mostorod Refinery is an oil refinery located in the city of Mostorod, Egypt, approximately 22 kilometers northeast of Cairo. It was built in 1976 and has a processing capacity of 142,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Mostorod refinery is owned by Egypt's national oil company, the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), and is operated by a joint venture between EGPC and the French company Total. It produces a range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene and fuel oil.
In 2019, the Mostorod refinery was modernized and expanded to include a new refining unit, increasing its processing capacity to 4.7 million tons per year. The modernization of the refinery has improved its energy and environmental efficiency, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
8 - Durban ENGEN Refinery (South Africa)
The ENGEN Durban Refinery, also known as the South Durban Petroleum Refinery, is located in Wentworth, a district of Durban, South Africa. It is operated by the South African company ENGEN Petroleum, which is a subsidiary of the Malaysian company PETRONAS.
The Durban ENGEN refinery has a processing capacity of 135,000 barrels of crude oil per day. It produces a range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
The Durban ENGEN refinery is known for its commitment to environmental sustainability and safety. It has programs in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and initiatives to reduce water and natural resource use. The refinery is also equipped with modern waste treatment and energy recovery facilities to minimize its impact on the environment.
9 - Warri Refinery (Nigeria)
The Warri Refinery is an oil refinery located in Warri, a city in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. It was built in 1978 and has a processing capacity of 125,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The Warri refinery is operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and produces a range of petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, kerosene and fuel oil.
Over the years, the Warri refinery has undergone several renovations and upgrades to improve its efficiency and reduce its environmental impact. However, the refinery has also experienced periods of downtime due to maintenance issues, resulting in shortages of petroleum products in the country.
In 2020, the Nigerian government announced plans to rehabilitate and modernize the Warri refinery, as well as two other domestic refineries, to improve local production of petroleum products and reduce dependence on imports.
10 - Zawia Refinery (Libya)
The Zawia refinery is located in Zawia, Libya, approximately 45 kilometers west of Tripoli. It was founded in 1974 and is today the largest oil refinery in Libya, with a processing capacity of 120,000 barrels per day.
The Zawia refinery is operated by Libya's national oil company, the National Oil Corporation (NOC), and produces a range of petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, kerosene, fuel oil and LPG (liquefied petroleum gas).
Over the years, the Zawia refinery has undergone several renovations and upgrades to improve its efficiency and reduce its environmental impact. It also has a crude oil and refined products storage complex, as well as an export infrastructure to ship finished products to international markets.