Wedoany.com Report-Jan 20, Algeria's imports of engine oil have significantly dropped in the past few years thanks to the quality of local production which recorded a substantial increase, because of the investment of several private operators in this fields, the head of the Hydrocarbon Regulation Authority (ARH), Rachid Nadil, said on Sunday.

Speaking on National Radio, Nadil announced that several private companies have begun producing competitively quality motor oils, which has helped reduce dependence on imports.

Local production enabled meeting a large part of the national demand for motor oils, he added, noting that the quantities of oils consumed in 2024 reached approximately 148,000 tons, an increase of 14% compared to 2023 (130,000 tons).

Regarding energy transition and promoting environmental sustainability, the speaker highlighted the importance of recycling used oils, specifying that Sonatrach Group currently recycles about 30,000 tons of used oils per year, while 80,000 tons remain to be recycled.

To meet these needs, the Group aims to build a used motor oil recycling plant, added Nadir, inviting private operators to invest in this field in partnership with Sonatrach, in order to optimize the use of these resources and reduce pollution.

He also mentioned the continued increase in annual consumption of petroleum products, with Diesel fuel consumption reaching 10.9 million tons in 2024, an increase of 5% compared to 2023 (10.38 million tons).

Gasoline consumption also increased by 6% to reach 3.57 million tons in 2024, compared to 3.36 million tons in 2023.

The consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) reached 1.8 million tons, against 1.74 million tons in 2023, while the annual asphalt consumption totaled 490,000 tons.

ARH's president affirmed that the production capacities of national refineries are sufficient to meet the local demand, notably with Sonatrach's new investment, notably Hassi Messaoud refinery (province of Ouargla) which will enter into production in 2027 with a production capacity reaching 5 million tons.