Zawia Oil Refining Company - Overview

Overview

In 1974, ARC began production with a nameplate capacity of 60,000 bpsd and in 1977, capacity doubled to 120,000 bpsd. The Zawia refinery is supplied with associated units for utility needs like power, steam production via boilers, desalination units, air compressors and a tankfarm for storing crude oil, intermediate and finished products. Two atmospheric distillation plants can process almost all Libyan crude oil and produce naphtha, kerosene light and heavy gas oil and fuel oil. The Crude Distillation unit has a desalter, which removes/decrease salt content to acceptable levels both topping units have stabilizers to remove lighter gases which is diverted to the fuel gas system.

Two naphtha hydrotreaters remove and decrease sulfur compounds, nitrogen compounds and other heavy metallic compounds and prepare feedstock for catalytic refromers. Each unit is also accompanied with a splitter to separate light and heavy naphtha. The two platforming units utilizes heavy naphtha as feedstock produces refromate, which is used as blending stock for gasoline production. The Platforming unit also produces LPG as a bye-product. Two kerosene hydrotreaters are utilized to produce desulfurised kerosene or Jet A-1. Capacity of each unit is 9,650 bpsd. NOC is expected to re-tender an engineering, procurement and construction contract for upgrading the Zawia refinery.