Suez Oil Processing Company (SOPC) refined 2.2 million tons of crude oil during fiscal year (FY) 2020/21, the company’s chairman, Hesham Fathy, stated.

This came during the general assembly meeting chaired by Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Tarek El Molla, to review the company’s performance in 2020/21, the ministry said in a statement.

SOPC’s production of butane, 80-octanes and 92-octanes benzene, mazut, and diesel fuel contributed to providing some of the needs of the local market, Fathy noted, pointing out that quantities of diesel products were exported, and around 76,000 tons of diesel and 3,000 tons of low-sulfur mazut were delivered to the Nasr Petroleum Company for export.

A number of new projects are currently being implemented in the company to raise operating efficiency, develop performance and apply the latest occupational safety and health standards, Fathy stated. These projects include the supply and installation of two salt separators for distillation units 1 and 2, to provide the required nutrition for the new units in the coking and asphalt complex.

In addition, 12 warehouses are being established to increase the storage capacity of petroleum products, and a new 24-inch diameter line is being established to transport petroleum products from the company to the tanker berth in order to increase operating facilities for the import and export of petroleum products.

The company is further establishing a new factory for the production of asphalt to meet the increasing domestic consumption of the asphalt. Moreover, it is implementing replacement and renewal projects in addition to security, safety, and environmental protection measures to maintain production capacities and improve operating economics and apply the latest standards of occupational health, safety, and environmental (HSE) protection.

During the meeting, El Molla  praised the performance of petroleum companies, such as Petrojet, in implementing various projects in refining complexes. He noted that “the project to establish an asphalt production plant at SOPC, which will start operation trials next month, will contribute to securing a large amount of the local market needs of this important product in light of the renaissance in the new road system.”