Nigerian oil at LOTOS refinery

125,000 tonnes of Nigerian Forcados crude oil was delivered to LOTOS Group’s refinery in mid-May this year. This is the first delivery of this crude in the company’s history and yet another type of raw material in the rich portfolio of types processed so far at the Gdansk plant.

Forcados crude comes from Nigeria – the country with the largest crude oil production in Africa, sixth among OPEC countries and eleventh in the world. The fields are located in the Niger Delta, from where they are transported by the Trans Forcados pipeline to the marine terminal of the same name. Average daily production from the field is around 250 000 barrels.

The raw material was unloaded at the beginning of April at Naftoport in Gdańsk. In mid-May it was sent for processing to the LOTOS refinery. Forcados is a paraffin-naphthenic oil. It is characterised by medium density, low content of sulphur, nitrogen, metals and asphaltenes. It is rich in propellant fractions and poor in vacuum residue. This will enable more high-margin products to be produced from it.

The raw material is fully miscible with the majority of crude oils processed by LOTOSU’s refinery, including the Russian REBCO crude. The good compatibility of Forcados crude is a considerable advantage in internal logistics. It can be stored and processed without risk with other types of crude oil that are in tanks.

Diversification of oil supply

The purchase of oil from Nigeria is part of strategic activities aimed at strengthening Poland’s security in the energy sector. At present, the LOTOS refinery in Gdansk stores and processes 13 types of oil other than the Russian REBCO crude. Their share in purchases from January to the end of April 2021 is nearly 20 percent.

Diversification of supplies is extremely important today. It helps ensure the stability and continuity of oil supplies to our refinery. Sourcing oil from Africa is proof that we are establishing and continuing trade relations with suppliers from various continents. As a modern plant, the LOTOS refinery is capable of processing a wide range of crude oil types. This shows that our plant is flexible and is constantly developing – says Zofia Paryła, President of the Management Board of LOTOS Group.

rel. PortalMorski.pl