Chevron Marine Lubricants expands reach in Africa with Akwa Group

Chevron Marine Lubricants will boost its presence in African ports after extending its joint venture with Akwa Group. Chevron is now an equal partner in Afriquia Lubrifiants, with plans to extend the blending, distribution, and marketing business beyond Morocco to markets in sub- Saharan Africa.

The enhanced agreement enables the joint venture to manufacture Chevron's premium products locally for the first time, including Chevron Marine Lubricants' product portfolio. Driven by research and development, the integration of Chevron's high- end formulas will allow for improved logistics cycles with better delivery times and better inventory management, as well as boosting the range of products available in the region.

The new roadmap includes the export of lubricant products to 14 countries in North and West Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Tunisia, Senegal, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea Conakry, Benin, Gabon, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chevron Marine Lubricants products will be available in ports across these countries.

To support export plans, a platform to service premium quality base oils to North and West Africa will be commissioned at Jorf Lasfar in Morocco. The facility will be to receive high- capacity vessels and export formulas from isotanks and flexitanks. The hub will be connected to the wharf through two pipelines.

The new agreement between Chevron and Akwa Group strengthens an alliance originally formed in 2000' s.