Arab Finance: Alexandria Petroleum Company raised its refinery operating rate to 83% during the final two quarters of fiscal year (FY) 2025/2026, up from 70% in the first quarter (Q1), as increased crude oil supplies drove higher production of several petroleum products, as per a statement.

The volume of crude oil refined during the FY increased by 9%, supported by additional supplies in the second half (H2), Chairperson Reham Alfa said during the company’s general assembly.

The increase lifted liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) production by 46%, mazut by 25%, naphtha by 9%, diesel by 6%, and jet fuel and kerosene by 16% compared with the previous year.

Production of 80/100 asphalt climbed by 81%, while oxidized asphalt output rose by 62%. Petroleum solvents supplied to local industries increased by 30%.

The refinery also increased feedstock supplies to the Egyptian Linear Alkyl Benzene Company (ELAB), Alexandria Mineral Oils Company (AMOC), Alexandria National Refining and Petrochemicals Company (ANRPC), Amreya Petroleum Refining Company, and Alexandria Specialty Petroleum Products Company (ASPC). The additional supplies supported the production of high-octane gasoline, high-quality oils, industrial detergent feedstock, and other products.

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi said higher crude oil supplies, alongside refinery efficiency upgrades, had increased domestic petroleum product output to help meet local demand and reduce imports.

Badawi added that Alexandria Petroleum plays a central role in Egypt’s refining sector by supplying raw materials to refining and petrochemical companies, where they are converted into higher-value finished products. The company also provides production inputs for several local industries.

Alongside higher refinery throughput, Alexandria Petroleum is upgrading two steam boilers at its oil complex at a total cost of EGP 400 million. Work on the first boiler has been completed, while the second is nearing completion.

Alfa noted that the project would save the company more than EGP 2 billion compared with replacing the boilers, while helping maintain the complex’s operations and reduce natural gas consumption and carbon emissions.

The company also completed a comprehensive overhaul of the complex and replaced and upgraded compressors at its production units. The work supported uninterrupted operations and restored the domestic production of certain oils and waxes that had previously been imported.

Badawi described the boiler upgrade as a model of coordination and efficient resource use among the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), Alexandria Petroleum, and Cairo Oil Refining Company. He also stressed the need to ensure that petroleum products comply with quality specifications.

The minister called for expanded safety awareness programs across all levels of the refinery’s workforce and strict compliance with safety procedures during ongoing efficiency, replacement, and modernization projects.