Algeria’s refining sector has been stuck in second gear for the last decade or more, with installed capacity of 677,000 b/d barely up on 2015’s 650,000 b/d. With their diet of domestic light sweet crudes, Algeria’s refineries have a low fuel oil yield of around 16%, but they also churn out a high proportion of naphtha rather than more valuable transport fuels such as gasoline and diesel.
Naphtha output has averaged 195,000 b/d over the first nine months of the year, Jodi data shows, accounting for 31% of total output. Meanwhile gasoline production is languishing at just 87,000 b/d, roughly equal to consumption of 86,000 b/d. This puts Algeria at risk of returning to its pre-2021 days as a net gasoline importer. (CONTINUED - 702 WORDS)
