Following the stages of exploration and production of oil and natural gas, comes the stage of refining and processing. This stage aims at increasing the value of crude oil and gas. It also provides an industrial base which contributes to balanced development and diversifies national sources of income. Moreover, such processing of crude materials aim at meeting the needs of local consumption, in addition to securing international markets for these products. NOC supervises through its specialised companies a number of refineries, petrochemical plants, and their related units and facilities.
1. Refining Of Crude Oil:
The total refining capacity of all refineries in the SPLAJ reaches 370,000 barrels per day (BOPD). This quantity comes mainly from Ras-Lanuf refinery (220.000 BOPD) and Zawia refinery (120,000BOPD). In addition to some other small refineries at Brega, Tabruk and Sarir. Plans for establishing a new refinery in Sebha is currently underway.
Asphalt in zawia and Benghazi provides some of the country's needs for asphalt 60/70. The Zawia oil blending satisfying some of the local market's need for oils.
A Scketch Showing a Primary Distillation of Crude Oil
2. Gas Processing:
NOC supervises through its specialised companies, seven gas plants .
among these plants are the following:
* Two methanol plants, each with a design capacity of 1000 metric tons per day.
Two ammonia plants, each with a design capacity of 1000 metric tons * per day.
" Two urea plants; on with a production capacity of 1000 * metric tons per day and the other with a design capacity of 1750 metric tons per day.
" gas liquefaction plant at Brega which has a design daily * capacity of 20,000 barrels of liquefied natural gas per day, 40,000 barrels per day of Naphtha Condensate, and 2,000 barrels per day of liquid pressurized gas (cooking gas ).
The products of these plants are exported from Brega terminal. Negotiations are in progress with financial institutions, and international fertilizer companies to find an acceptable method of co-operation in the field of financing and constructing a fertilizer plant in Sirt.
