Morocco’s energy ministry is facing renewed scrutiny over the actual use of storage facilities at the idle Samir oil refinery, after energy minister Leila Benali said the state had enabled operators to access the infrastructure over the past three years.
Speaking to 2M TV channel, Benali said her ministry had used Samir’s storage capacity as part of mechanisms allowing energy operators to store petroleum products, adding that she was the first minister to authorize the rental of the refinery’s tanks.
Samir has been closed since 2015 after its liquidation over piled up debt and mismanagement by its Saudi owner Coral Holding.
Since then, calls mounted on the government to facilitate its sell off or set up new refining capacity.
The shutdown of Samir left Morocco entirely reliant on the import of refined fuel, worsening exposure to external shocks, including the current closure of the Hurmuz Strait.
Samir’s storage capacity has been incorporated into the ministry’s official data since 2023, and that several companies are using the facilities, the minister said.
Samir’s total storage capacity is estimated at between 1.8 million and 2 million cubic meters, meaning current use represents about 4% of available capacity.
In a March 31 statement, Houcine El Yamani, head of the National Petroleum and Gas Union and president of the National Front for the Preservation of Samir, said only one tank was being operated exclusively, raising questions about the refinery’s contribution to energy security and market balance.
