Egyptian Refining Co. (ERC) has commissioned its long-delayed grassroots refining upgrade project built within the existing Mostorod Petroleum Complex, 20 km northeast of Cairo in Qalyoubia governate, Egypt (OGJ Online, Apr. 10, 2014; Jan. 21, 2014).
All the units at ERC’s refinery are now operating and scheduled to ramp up to full production before the end of first-quarter 2020, said Qatar Petroleum, owner of 38.1% in Arabian Refinery Co., which in turn owns 66.6% in ERC.
Startup of the ERC refinery will further strengthen Qatar Petroleum’s international downstream footprint through this vital project—which is its largest investment in an Arab country as well as in Africa—and will support Egypt’s plans to increase the resilience of its domestic hydrocarbon supply chain and reduce dependence on imports, Qatar Petroleum said.
The $4.4-billion project aims to process about 4.7 million tonnes/year of mainly atmospheric residue feed from the adjacent 145,000-b/d Cairo Oil Refinery Co. to mainly produce Euro 5-quality refined products, such as diesel and jet fuel, intended for consumption primarily in Cairo and surrounding areas.
Robert Brelsford | Downstream Editor
Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast, West Coast, Canadian, and Latin American markets. He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University.