Sangafowa-Coulibaly announces major projects
Sangafowa-Coulibaly, Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, is not one to rest on his laurels. After his brilliant reappointment on Tuesday 17 October 2023, on Saturday 21 October he commissioned Gestoci's (Société de gestion des stocks pétroliers de Côte d'Ivoire) new unleaded super tank in Yamoussoukro. 20,000 m3, i.e. 20 million litres, is the infrastructure capacity of this depot intended for the central, northern and western zones and the hinterland countries of Mali and Burkina Faso.
Congratulating the Gestoci teams on the construction of this Super tank, which doubles the storage capacity for this product to 45,000 m3, Sangafowa-Coulibaly took the opportunity to pass on a message. The international context today is much more complex. The supply chain for all consumer countries is becoming increasingly complex. In such a context, autonomy and storage take on a much more important role. This is why I welcome this initiative and assure the general management of my support", said the Minister.
He pointed out that up until 2010, investment in infrastructure for the reception, storage and transport of petroleum products was at a standstill before picking up again. He urged everyone to go further and step up the pace of investment to meet international challenges, national demand and competition in the sub-region for the production and distribution of petroleum products.
Continuing, Sangafowa-Coulibaly announced that Gestoci's Board of Directors would soon be restructured "so that the shareholding reflects the contribution of the various parties, in order to raise financing for investment". In the same vein, he announced some major challenges for the sector. These include modernising technical facilities, increasing the turnover rate of lorries loading, and increasing storage capacity to cover national needs, with a view to meeting the needs of hinterland countries by providing them with a high-quality, competitive service.
"The rehabilitation of the Bouaké depot under these conditions is becoming an absolute necessity. This depot, which has not been operational since 2002, has become a priority for us", the minister said. He went on to cite the Abidjan-Yamoussoukro 12-inch multi-product pipeline project, the construction of a 16-inch multi-product Abidjan-Ferkessédougou pipeline, the conversion of the Abidjan-Bouaké pipeline into a gas-butane pipeline, and the construction of a 14-inch Abidjan-Bouaké natural gas pipeline. "All these projects must be completed quickly," said the minister. He went on to invite nationals to invest in the oil and gas sector, as the government is ready to support them."
Ibrahima Doumbia, Managing Director of Gestoci, said that the commissioning of the 20,000 m3 Super R12 tank would double the storage capacity for unleaded Super. This will mean that Super will be available for twelve days instead of six. For him, this is a real comfort, because in recent years, his structure has worked on a just-in-time basis, with a lot of stress. This storage area, he pointed out, also offers the opportunity to build loyalty and increase the attractiveness of the Ivorian corridor in terms of petroleum products for countries in the sub-region. The total capacity of the Gestoci depot in Yamoussoukro has thus been increased from 60,000 m3 to 80,700 m3. Doumbia said that he was still counting on the support of Minister Sangafowa-Coulibaly for a number of projects, including the construction of a second 20,000 m3 diesel tank, an increase in tanker loading capacity and loading lanes, the expansion of car parks and the acquisition of space around the depot to make it more secure, given the extensive urbanisation of Yamoussoukro.
Source: Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy
https://energie.gouv.ci/actualite/mise-en-service-de-la-sphere-de-20-millions-de-litres-de-super-de-gestoci-yamoussoukro
