Algerian liquefied gas exports are expected to witness a jump during the coming period, with the near completion of the Skikda oil port expansion project, which works to achieve the country’s strategic goals to increase hydrocarbon exports.
In this context, the director of the Sonatrach complex, Toufik Hakkar, paid a working visit and inspected the industrial zone of Skikda, to see the functioning of the production units in the industrial zone, and to examine the extent of progress in implementing the new oil port expansion project.
The expansion of the Skikda port comes within steps to increase Algerian liquefied gas and crude oil exports, and seize new opportunities in the global market.
Algeria aims to raise its production of fossil fuels to 200 million tons of oil equivalent during the current year (2023), a number that the country has not recorded since 2010.
Skikda oil port
The general manager of the Sonatrach complex started the visit by listening to a technical presentation at the site of the new Skikda oil port expansion project, with a completion rate of 90%, according to the data seen by the specialized energy platform.
The project is considered one of the strategic projects that Sonatrach relies on, in order to raise its hydrocarbon exports abroad, especially Algerian liquefied gas exports.
It will allow raising the loading and unloading capacities of hydrocarbons and strengthening the capabilities of marketing liquefied gas abroad, at a time when Algeria aims to increase its exports to 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually over the next 5 years.
After the completion of the Skikda oil port project in Algeria, it is expected that the movement of large-sized ships destined for export will witness a significant recovery, given the shipping capabilities that the new port will provide for gas transport ships with a capacity of 220 thousand cubic meters and oil tankers whose capacity ranges from 50 thousand to 250 thousand tons. (360 thousand to 1.8 million barrels).
Algerian liquefied gas exports recorded a decrease of 12.8% in 2022 compared to 2021, in conjunction with increased pumping through pipelines, according to a report by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).
According to the data – obtained by the specialized energy platform – Algerian LNG exports declined in 2022 to about 10.2 million tons, compared to 11.48 million tons in 2021.
Oil refinery
The senior official of Sonatrach inspected the oil refinery in Skikda, in addition to the oil waste treatment area, and listened to explanations about the applied methods for treating this waste.
He also examined the diesel tanks at the Skikda oil refinery, which had undergone reformatting operations in order to conform them to the requirements of safety rules.
He also reviewed the linear alkyl benzene project, and listened to an explanation about the progress rate of the project, pointing to the importance of the project, which comes within the plan to develop petrochemical activity in Sonatrach.
Algerian oil and liquefied gas exports
The project to expand the oil port of Skikda in Algeria is considered one of the pivotal projects that will play a positive role in developing the economic features of Sonatrach at the international level, as the port of Skikda is the eastern gateway for the export of hydrocarbons.
Since 2019, Algeria has been implementing – in cooperation with the Chinese “China Harbor Engineering Company” – a project to expand the Skikda oil port, which has witnessed delays due to the Corona virus crisis.
The expansion of the Skikda oil port in Algeria includes the construction of a new liquefied gas berth, with the aim of shipping gas tankers with a capacity of up to 220,000 cubic meters, with the establishment of a berth for loading and unloading transported materials through containers.
The expansion also includes converting the pre-existing LNG hub into an LNG shipping hub.
The expansion of the Skikda oil port coincides with the construction of a new liquefied natural gas tank on a liquefied vessel in Skikda.
Last year, Algeria signed a contract with the Chinese Sinopec Group to construct a new liquefied natural gas reservoir, which includes that the Chinese company dismantle two existing reservoirs on a liquefaction complex in Skikda, and in return construct a new reservoir in the same area with a capacity of 150,000 cubic meters.
The following infographic – prepared by the Energy Platform in 2022 – reviews the most important information about the Skikda oil port in Algeria:
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