New Director General Joseph Kouamé presented the roadmap on July 31, identifying the reliability of storage and transport infrastructure as a priority for the company, which handles the storage and transportation of liquid petroleum products nationwide. The strategy comes as recurring fuel shortages in Brazzaville highlight vulnerabilities across Congo’s downstream supply chain.

A Supply Chain Under Pressure

CORAF currently meets an average 60% of domestic petroleum product consumption, while imports supplied by the state-owned Société Nationale des Pétroles du Congo (SNPC) cover the remaining 40%. SCLOG provides the storage and transport link between these supplies and domestic markets. Its network includes eight depots nationwide, with capacity for 44,723 m³ of diesel, 17,289 m³ of gasoline, 9,991 m³ of Jet A1, 1,525 m³ of kerosene and 1,824 m³ of fuel oil.

The importance of supply resilience has been underscored by repeated shortages in Brazzaville during 2026. In May, the Ministry of Hydrocarbons attributed disruptions primarily to low fuel stocks, international market constraints linked to geopolitical tensions and difficulties faced by suppliers in delivering petroleum products. A further shortage occurred in September, with a source at the Ministry telling local media that the disruption was linked to a breakdown at CORAF’s gasoline production unit, compounded by high costs of importing refined products.   

Safety, Continuity, Loss Reduction

To address these challenges, Kouamé has identified three priorities for SCLOG: improving safety standards across its facilities, ensuring reliable deliveries to prevent stock shortages and reducing product losses during transportation.

“We need to help find solutions so that product owners don’t lose [volumes] to leakages,” he said, adding that reducing coulage – losses that occur during transport between the refinery, import terminals and city depots – is also central to protecting the volumes that Congo already has, rather than solely chasing new supply.

Refining Gains Shift Attention Downstream

SCLOG’s roadmap comes as CORAF records improved performance. Refined product sales at the facility reached 70 billion CFA francs in the first quarter of 2026, with production increasing 23.6% year-on-year, driven by higher crude receipts from the Djeno terminal.

SNPC is also pursuing a modernization program at the facility in partnership with Azerbaijan's SOCAR. The partnership covers operational optimization, power generation, water conditioning and hydrocracker compressor upgrades, among other areas, with the wider objective of improving refinery performance and product quality. SNPC leadership met with CORAF management in June 2026 to review the modernization project and address ongoing gasoline production issues.

Downstream Investment Takes the Stage at CEIF 2027

As refining capacity improves, attention is shifting to the next major challenge faced across the downstream sector: transportation and storage. SCLOG's roadmap provides a timely example of where downstream investment and operational improvements will be required, and the upcoming Congo Energy & Investment Forum, taking place from June 1-3, 2027, in Brazzaville, will bring these discussions to international investors. Organized by Energy Capital & Power in collaboration with the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, the forum will connect investors and project developers with Congolese policymakers, regulators and energy companies.