Sonatrach’s Augusta Refinery to Supply Algeria With Diesel and Asphalt in 2026

Augusta refinery in Italian Sicily will supply the Algerian market with diesel fuel by 2026, in addition to half a million tons annually of bitumen used in road construction, the CEO of Sonatrach’s refinery, Rosario Pistorio, said.

Rosario added that Sonatrach has centralised all operations in Sicily under a unified command centre, unlike the refinery’s previous owner (American ExxonMobil), which opted for a fragmented structure for operations and services.

The remarks by the head of the Augusta refinery, who was reinstated to his position a few days ago, came in a video interview with the local news site Syracuse News. He explained that the facility has a unique characteristic in the country: following the transformation of the Livorno refinery (in the Tuscany region), it is now the only refinery in Italy producing the base material for lubricating oils.

An official from Sonatrach’s Sicilian branch explained that the refinery, being the only one producing the base material for lubricating oils, supplies it to well-known brands such as Mobil 1. He added that one of Sonatrach’s clients is the official candle supplier to Buckingham Palace, using paraffin wax produced during the refinery’s Augusta plant.

Rosario Pistorio noted that Sonatrach’s refinery, through its specialised products such as lubricating oil bases and paraffin used in wax manufacturing, is seeking new markets to expand its global presence in these sectors.

In another context, the CEO of the Augusta refinery confirmed that the company currently supplies Algeria, the home country of its parent company Sonatrach, with asphalt (bitumen) used for road paving. He indicated that the facility will primarily supply Algeria with diesel fuel this year, as part of its contribution to the development of the company’s home country. He did not provide details on the quantities of diesel fuel to be transferred from the refinery to Algeria.

Regarding asphalt, Pistorio stated that the refinery allocates approximately half a million tons (500,000 tons) annually to Algeria, particularly given the country’s significant and rapid growth.

The Sonatrach refinery official in Italy pointed out that the company previously had a fragmented structure, inherited from ExxonMobil, with services distributed across several locations. Payroll was handled in Bangkok, accounting and inventory in Eastern Europe, and IT, along with the commercial department, was based at headquarters.

The same official indicated that over the past seven years, the company has worked with its Algerian counterpart to build what is known as a “self-sustaining company,” while strengthening cooperation with Algeria in terms of operational support, planning, and strategic exchange.

He revealed that the company employs approximately 760 people, with 340 new hires added over the past seven years, either to replace retirees or to create new departments, such as the finance department, which was initially outsourced.
According to him, the main objective of all these measures and changes was to centralise all services in Italy and create a unified command centre administratively and strategically, while maintaining essential support from the Algerian parent company in some vital areas.