Top 5 African Countries with Functional Refineries 

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African countries are building up their refineries to be more functional, and aid in speeding up oil and gas exploration in many resource-rich basins across the continent. Countries are turning to downstream expansions to boost domestic production capacity, reduce refined product imports, and maximize the benefits of Africa’s vast oil and gas reserves. 

Africa continues to position itself as a global refined product exporter by developing large-scale oil refineries across the continent, expanding domestic capacity while enhancing socio-economic progress through energy independence.

Several African countries have been pushed to close their refineries due to, low global refining margins, tiny local markets, high operating costs, and poor yields. Many of the existing refineries have experienced substantial hurdles as a result of the World Bank/IMF insistence on market liberalisation in the early 1980s.

In 2020, Egypt had the largest oil refinery capacity among the African countries, producing 833 thousand barrels per calendar day. Algeria and Libya followed with a refinery capacity of 677 thousand and 634 thousand barrels per calendar day.

Here are 5 African countries with functional refineries.

Algeria

The Algiers refinery, which opened in 1964, has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day. It was built by a certified financial planner and Total to supply to the major market. It doesn’t have any cracking capability or unique units.

The Arzew refinery, which opened in 1973, has a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day. Sonatrach, Sonatrach, the country’s state-owned oil firm, built it as an export refinery. It does not have cracking facilities, but it does have Lube Baseoil and Bitumen units, which were built in 1984.

The Skikda refinery, which opened in 1980 and was extended in 1993, has a capacity of 356,500 barrels per day, making it the largest. Sonatrach constructed it as an export refinery and petrochemical complex. It lacks cracking equipment but does have an Aromatics unit (BTX) and a Bitumen facility.

Nigeria

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has three refineries in the country. In 2004, the Nigerian government announced its plan to sell 51 percent of each refinery.

The Kaduna refinery in northern Nigeria, which has a capacity of 5.5 million mt/yr and 110,000 b/d, was established in 1980. In 1982, a Lube Baseoil factory was added, followed by a LAB plant in 1987.

The Warri refinery in the south-central region was completed in 1978 and has a capacity of 6.2 million metric tons per year and 125,000 barrels per day. In 1986, a Carbon Black and Polypropylene facility were added.

The Port Harcourt refinery, located in the southeast, is made up of two refineries that were established in 1965 and 1989. The refinery is the largest in the country. They combined in 1993, resulting in a total capacity of 10.500 million mt/yr and 210,000 b/d. 

The Eleme Petrochemical plant, which opened in 1995 next to the Port Harcourt refinery, has a production capacity of 483,000 mt/yr of olefins, 80,000 mt/yr of polypropylene, and 250,000 mt/yr of polyethene.

However, the Nigerian oil sector has been severely hampered by operational issues in recent years, with production falling below 50% of capacity.

South Africa

There are four refineries and three synfuels factories in South Africa.

Caltex has a refinery in Cape Town with a capacity of 5.5 million mt/yr and 110,000 b/d.

The 8.2 million mt per annum and 165,000 b/d Sapref refinery in Durban is jointly owned by Shell and BP.

Engen operates the Enref refinery in Durban, which has a capacity of 6 million mt/yr and 125,000 b/d.

The Natref refinery in Sasolburg, which produces 4.2 million mt/yr and 85,000 b/d, is jointly owned by Sasol and Total.

Since 1990, all of South Africa’s refineries have undergone considerable expansions and upgrades.

Egypt

Egypt has nine refineries, the majority of which are located in the northeast which includes Cairo, Alexandria, Suez . All but one of the refineries are run by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC). The MIDOR Refinery near Alexandria is an exception.

The Alexandria Petroleum Company runs the El Mex refinery in Alexandria. It has a capacity of 100,000 b/d and a vacuum distillation capability of 22,500 b/d. It also has a Bitumen unit and a Lube Baseoil production business.

The Cairo Petroleum Refining Company is located in Mostorod, Egypt. The capacity of this refinery is 145,000 barrels per day.

The Asyut Petroleum Refining Company, located near Egypt’s centre, has a capacity of 47,000 barrels per day. This basic refinery is equipped with a tiny Naphtha Reformer and is intended to serve the central and southern regions.

The Middle East Oil Refinery (MIDOR) in Alexandria’s Amiriyah Free Zone was completed in 2002. It has a 100,000-b/d capacity and includes a 35,000-b/d Hydrocracker, a 22,800-b/d Coker, and a 10,700-b/d Isomerization unit. This refinery is Egypt’s only privately owned refinery. It began as a joint Egyptian-Israeli venture, but in 2001, the Israeli stockholders surrendered their shares to the Egyptian National Bank.

Libya

The Zawiyah refinery, located about 40 kilometres west of Tripoli, is one of Libya’s crude oil refineries. It is run by the Zawia Oil Refining Company, has a distillation capacity of 6,000 tons per year and a production capacity of 120,000 barrels per day, making it Africa’s eighth largest refinery by capacity.

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