Wedoany.com Report-Nov. 28, Sonatrach, Algeria's state-owned energy company, and Sinopec Guangzhou Engineering Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of China's Sinopec Group, have signed an engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning (EPCC) contract for a new hydrotreating and continuous catalytic reforming (CCR) unit at the Arzew refinery.

The signing ceremony was held at Sonatrach's headquarters and attended by Algeria's Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, Mohamed Arkab, Sonatrach Chairman and CEO Nour Eddine Daoudi, as well as senior executives from both companies.

The new facility, which will process heavy naphtha, will occupy a 5-hectare site within the existing Arzew refinery complex. Construction is scheduled for completion within 30 months.

The project forms part of Sonatrach's ongoing programme to modernise and expand Algeria's refining capacity. Once operational, the unit will help meet growing gasoline demand in the country's western and southwestern regions.

The agreement strengthens cooperation between Sonatrach and Sinopec Group in the development of Algeria's downstream petroleum sector, supporting enhanced production of higher-quality refined products for the domestic market.