Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, has honored Amr Tawfik from the Refining and Manufacturing Department at the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) for developing a locally made demulsifier used for injection in oil wells, with specifications comparable to imported products. The chemical helps separate water from the produced crude and reduces its viscosity.
In recognition of the achievement, the minister also honored the team responsible for the product’s localization and marketing, which included Michael Wagdy of the Cairo Oil Refining Company (CORC) and Ehab Shokry of Khalda Petroleum Company, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).
The team’s development and testing experiments initially began at the General Petroleum Company (GPC) with the dual purpose of enhancing the value of crude oil and protecting critical infrastructure. By effectively treating the crude at the source, the locally produced chemical prevents corrosion in production lines, storage tanks, and pumps, thereby extending asset integrity across the value chain.
The financial impact of this localization is substantial, with the team reporting savings of between $200 and $300 per barrel of the chemical compared to imported alternatives. This successful transition from concept to commercialization follows Minister Badawi’s direct instructions to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions presented at technical workshops.
The ceremony was attended by Salah Abdel Kerim, CEO of EGPC; Wael Rizk, Executive Vice President for Refining and Manufacturing at EGPC; and Tarek Gamal, Chairman of CORC.
The product has already been successfully applied in GPC fields as a first practical application, achieving significant financial savings, according to the petroleum ministry’s statement.
It has also been approved for use at Badr El Din Petroleum (BAPETCO), Suez Oil Company (SUCO), and PetroBaker Petroleum Company sites, with wider deployment expected during the current year.
