Sonatrach and Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Sign Contract for New Heavy Naphtha Unit at Arzew Refinery
ALGIERS – Algerian Minister of State, Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, presided on Monday over the signing ceremony of a new contract for the construction of a heavy naphtha catalytic processing unit at the Arzew refinery, between Sonatrach and the Chinese company Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Co., Ltd.
The signing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Sonatrach General Directorate, and was attended by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Algeria, Dong Guangli, the CEO of the Sonatrach Group, Noureddine Daoudi, as well as executives from both parties.
This contract falls within the framework of strengthening Algeria’s capabilities in oil refining, as the Chinese company Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Co., Ltd. will implement the project under an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Operation format, on an area of five hectares within the Arzew refinery premises. The project completion timeline has been set at thirty months, the Algerian Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Mines said in a statement.
This unit, with an annual capacity of 738,000 tons of heavy naphtha, will enable the refinery to increase gasoline production from 550,000 tons to 1.2 million tons per year. This represents a significant step that will strengthen the national capacity for gasoline production and help meet demand across various regions, particularly in the west and southwest of the country, the statement said.
Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of the global Sinopec Group, is one of the leading companies specialized in the construction of industrial facilities in the oil and gas sector. It possesses extensive experience in engineering, procurement, and construction, making it a trusted technical partner for implementing projects of strategic significance.
This project is part of Sonatrach’s program aimed at modernizing and expanding national refining capacities, in line with the overall objectives of the hydrocarbons sector, which seek to increase national added value and strengthen the country’s energy security.
