Site

Location

The RA1G refinery is located in Sidi Arcine (Baraki), approximately 20 km east of Algiers, Algeria. It occupies a total area of 182 hectares, with 96 hectares dedicated to buildings and fencing.^[1]

Historical Background

The refinery began operations in February 1964 under a consortium of companies.^[1] The refinery was rehabilitated in 2019 to a capacity of 3.645 million tonnes/year.^[2]

Capacity and Production

The RA1G refinery has a processing capacity of 2.7 million tons per year. It processes crude oil from Hassi Messaoud to produce fuels (gasoline, kerosene, diesel), exporting products including naphtha and fuel oil^[1], and supplying petroleum products to 18 provinces.^[2]

Facilities

The refinery includes the following installations:^[1]

• Atmospheric distillation unit (TOPPING)
• Catalytic reforming unit (PLATFORMING)
• Liquid gas separation unit (GAS PLANT)
• Thermoelectric power plant
• Storage park (37 tanks)
• Shipping pump station

Algier Refinery Rehabilitation

The annual capacity of the Algiers refinery, whose production units were commissioned on Monday, February 24, 2020, increased to reach 3.645 million tons compared to 2.7 million tons a year earlier.^[3]

• The commissioning of this refinery will particularly allow for increased processing capacity of Algerian crude oil, and increased fuel production, while adapting the production tool to quality standards (Euro V), industrial safety standards and environmental standards.
• Thus, diesel production capacity increased from 665,280 tons/year in early 2019 to 1,186,268 tons, according to figures presented during the inauguration ceremony of the refinery's new installations, in the presence of Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad.
• Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production capacity tripled to reach 269,000 tons/year compared to 79,110 tons before the rehabilitation of this refinery located in Sidi Arcine in Baraki.
• As for super and regular gasoline, the refinery ended the production of these two types of fuel to replace them with unleaded gasoline with a capacity of 1,300,000 tons.
• The refinery also increased its jet fuel production capacity to 620,741 tons from 435,240 tons, according to the same data.

After more than two years of rehabilitation work carried out by the Chinese group China Petroleum Engineering and Construction (CPECC), the Algiers refinery was delivered in February 2019 before beginning the progressive commissioning of various installations.

• In May 2019, the refinery saw the commissioning of its "utilities" units, those for effluent treatment, storage, atmospheric distillation, and LPG treatment and separation.
• Between November 2019 and February 2020, the refinery proceeded with the installation of its MS Block for the production of components intended for gasoline manufacturing (naphtha hydrotreatment, CCR reforming, isomerization) as well as its RFCC Block for catalytic cracking (associated LPG treatment, acid water treatment, amine regeneration, sulfur recovery).

References

1. Raffinagecar, 21^st July 2008, Présentation de RA1G.
2. Sonatrach web site > Activities > Raffinage et Pétrochimie. (Accessed 26^th Dec 2024)
3. Peoples Democratic Republic of Algeria > Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energy, 25^th Feb 2020, Raffinerie d’Alger : augmentation des capacités à 3,6 millions de tonnes/an.