• China’s CRBC to build new oil refinery in Gabon
• Project aims to boost fuel supply, cut import reliance
• Over 20,000 jobs expected during refinery construction phase
  

China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has launched a project to build a new crude oil refinery in the southwestern city of Port-Gentil, local media reported on October 15, 2025. The Chinese state-owned group is said to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gabonese government to carry out the work.

The refinery is part of a wider infrastructure program that also includes the construction and rehabilitation of more than 250 kilometers of roads in the northern Woleu-Ntem province.

Gabon, an OPEC member producing about 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, currently depends on a single refinery operated by SOGARA, which has been in operation in Port-Gentil since 1964. Recurrent technical and financial challenges have limited its capacity to meet the country’s domestic fuel demand.

OPEC data show that SOGARA processed around 13,000 barrels per day of crude in 2023, equivalent to about 666,000 tons for the year, covering only 28% of Gabon’s fuel needs. Local reports say the refinery handled roughly 910,000 tons of crude in 2024, but still fell short of national consumption levels.

The new CRBC-led refinery is intended to strengthen Gabon’s energy security and cut reliance on fuel imports. Authorities said the project is expected to create more than 20,000 jobs during its implementation phase. The government and CRBC plan to convert the MoU into a binding agreement at a later stage.

Abdel-Latif Boureima