Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) – the national oil company of the Republic of Congo – has partnered with the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) to modernize the CORAF refinery, a key asset in Congo's energy sector.

The collaboration was formalized through a contract signed between a subsidiary of SOCAR, SOCAR Downstream Management, and SNPC during the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies 2024 conference in Cape Town.

The modernization initiative aims to enhance the refinery's capacity and product quality to align with evolving environmental regulations. By implementing best practices and optimizing operations, the project is set to strengthen Congo’s energy security and refining capabilities across the sub-region.

The partnership leverages SOCAR’s expertise from the recent modernization of the Heydar Aliyev Refinery in Baku, and underscores SNPC and SOCAR’s commitment to contributing to global energy solutions and fostering sustainable growth. The collaboration will concentrate on several key areas, including plant simulation and linear programming, raw water conditioning, power generation optimization and hydrocracker compressor upgrades, along with support in operational management and HSE practices.