businessincameroon.com

Research studies and current explorations, which forshadow promising perspectives for the oil and gas production, would allow Cameroon to win an important international market.

By Achille Mbog Pibasso, Douala

A national refining company (SONARA)

Bakassi's peninsula
Although the policy of the country's development does not rely specifically on the incomes of the oil, the oil resources represent one of the main state incomes with a 400 billion CFA franc contribution in the Budget, which is about, 1/5 of the global envelope of the country in 2010,after the fiscal and customs receipts. According to experts, the retrocession of the Bakassi's peninsula in Cameroon should increase the potentialities of the country, this zone being considered rich in oil. It is doubtless to prepare all these current changes that the Cameroonian government has just undertaken the extension and the modernization of the only refinery oil the country, that of the national Company of refining (SONARA).

The oil resources represent one of the main state incomes with a 400 billion CFA francs contribution in the Budget, which is about, 1/5 of the global envelope of the country in 2010,after the fiscal and customs receipts.

The modernization of the factory (which have cost 350 billion CFA francs) should eventually allow, Cameroon, to refine on the spot heavy and light crudes and, consequently, to increase its oil production. At the end of the works, the yearly production capacity will go from 2 100 000 tons (current situation) to 3 500 000 tons, " that will allow us a greater development of market shares in the export and first and foremost in our hinterland, the national market being already satisfied ", reassured the Chief Executive Officer of the SONARA, Charles Metouck. In sights, east Africa, Latin America and the United States, where Cameroon intends to win important market shares.
 

Technological evolutions 

 Besides the increase of the storage capacity, the building-up of a distillation under vacuum of a 1.300.000 ton / year capacity will be achieved, without forgetting the implementation of a unit of cogeneration operating on vacuum residue, for a new capacity of 9MW and 11t / hour - vapor Hp, as it is indicated at SONARA.

The natural gas whose potentialities are estimated to 187 billions of m3, is also expected to encounter bright days in the future.
A few days ago, a Gaz de France (GDF) Suez Global LNG's team, led by the Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Jean François Cirelli, spent some days in Cameroon assessing the project of a future program of development of gas in one joint-venture with the SNH. "Through this important project of valuation of the Cameroonian gas, they want to build a factory of liquefaction for gas in Cameroon which will allow the export towards the overseas markets, as a certain amount of this gas will remain in Cameroon ". The country seeks to build two factories for the gas production at Douala and Kribi. A large amount of it will be dedicated to the export, as the potentialities will provide the domestic market.