BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 5. SOCAR Downstream,
a subsidiary of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), has
been selected as Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the
National Petroleum Company of the Republic of the Congo (SNPC),
SOCAR Downstream Managing Director Emil Alkhasli announced on
social media.


According to him, cooperation between SOCAR and SNPC, which
began as an idea, has now reached an important stage. "Recently,
SOCAR Downstream, acting as the Project Management Consultant (PMC)
for the CORAF Refinery, supported the official launch of the
Pre-FEED stage of the refinery modernization project," Alkhasli
said.


He noted that the cooperation is not limited to technical
matters and is also important for strengthening ties between
Azerbaijan and the Republic of the Congo. "This cooperation has
also become an important experience in strengthening ties between
Azerbaijan and the Republic of the Congo, gaining a closer
understanding of different cultures, and identifying common
interests and opportunities," he said.


Alkhasli also emphasized the importance of applying experience
and knowledge gained from corporate projects to create additional
value for partners. "I am proud that our team is taking this
experience beyond Azerbaijan's borders and building cooperation
based on trust," the managing director said.


"This is not just a project. It is a partnership built between
people, organizations and countries. At the same time, it is an
example of how cooperation can contribute to mutual development and
shared progress," Alkhasli added.







SOCAR and SNPC signed an agreement in Baku on April 4, 2024, on
the terms for upgrading and expanding the CORAF Refinery.


Located in Pointe-Noire, the refinery has been operating since
December 1982 and is the Republic of the Congo's only oil refinery.
Its design capacity is 27,000 barrels per day, while its current
capacity is about 20,000 barrels per day.


SOCAR specialists are expected to assess the refinery's current
condition and develop proposals for its modernization. More than
half of the petroleum products produced at the refinery are used to
meet domestic demand in the Republic of the Congo.


SOCAR Trading has been marketing some of the crude oil and
petroleum products produced at CORAF on international markets since
2023.