Once again, CITAC's Downstream Workshops proved a successful element of the annual ARA Week event, held in Cape Town at the end of March. 150 delegates heard CITAC's key message concerning Africa’s growing clean products shortfall – and the infrastructural challenges that will need to be met if the continent’s burgeoning demand is to be satisfied.

According to CITAC’s upwardly revised dem and forecasts, Africa’s oil product demand will rise to 199mn mt or 4.3mn b/d in 2020, compared with  142mn mt, or 3.1mn b/d in 2009. Given the small number of new refinery projects and upgrades likely to come on stream during the next ten years, CITAC emphasised the need for governments and industry to plan ahead and come up with co-ordinated long-term strategies for infrastructure and supply chain efficiency.

Other topical subjects covered by the Workshops included financial modelling, peak oil, trading arbitrages in and out of Africa, downstream oil regulation, hedging refining margins, ‘shipping in crisis’ and the impact of turbulent financial markets on Africa. CITAC welcomes delegate feedback from this year’s Workshops, as well as suggestions for next year’s topics.

For further details, please contact us.