Sonatrach Reaffirms Safety as Top Priority Following Arzew Refinery Incident
Chief Executive Noureddine Daoudi has reiterated that health, safety and environmental standards remain central to Sonatrach’s industrial strategy after inspecting the site of a recent incident at the Arzew refinery.
BY Dr. Hana Saada
Sonatrach has reaffirmed that the safety of its industrial facilities remains its foremost priority following an incident at its Arzew refinery, with Chief Executive Officer Noureddine Daoudi stressing that strict compliance with health, safety and environmental (HSE) requirements is a fundamental pillar of the state energy group’s industrial policy.
Daoudi made the remarks during a working and inspection visit to the refinery in Oran Province on Thursday after an incident at the 5-litre finished lubricants packaging unit (Unit 3900), according to a statement issued by Sonatrach on Saturday.
The visit was intended to assess conditions on the ground and review the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Sonatrach chief was accompanied by senior executives responsible for Pipeline Transportation (TRC), Refining and Petrochemicals (RPC) and Liquefaction and Separation (LQS), alongside the Chief Executive Officer of subsidiary Naftal and the group’s Executive Director for Health, Safety and Environment.
During the inspection, Daoudi reviewed the emergency response measures deployed at the site and praised the effectiveness of the intervention teams and the operational organisation that enabled the incident to be brought under control.
He also reiterated the need for full compliance with HSE standards across all production facilities while expressing appreciation to emergency responders, refinery technical staff and all personnel involved in containing the incident.
Strengthening Risk Prevention
Sonatrach said the visit underscored the importance of strengthening risk prevention throughout its industrial facilities, with a continued focus on operational vigilance, reinforcing safety culture and ensuring strict adherence to established operating procedures.
According to the company, these measures are intended to enhance the reliability of its infrastructure, safeguard its workforce and ensure the uninterrupted continuity of operations under the highest safety standards.
The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. on Thursday at Unit 3900, which handles the packaging of five-litre finished lubricant products.
Sonatrach said the situation was fully brought under control by 4:40 a.m. following the deployment of the refinery’s firefighting resources, activation of the Mutual Assistance Plan (PAM) and mobilisation of the Arzew Tactical Command Post (PCT), with additional support from Algeria’s Civil Protection services.
The company confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were recorded and that neighbouring production units were unaffected by the incident and have remained fully operational.
While Sonatrach did not disclose the cause of the incident, it said the response demonstrated the effectiveness of its emergency preparedness mechanisms and reinforced the importance of maintaining rigorous safety and risk management standards across its industrial operations.
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