Kenyas government-owned National Oil Corporation has embarked on a regional expansion plan that will see it increase its oil capacity in order to address an increasing customer base
The company has announced in Nairobi that it will partner with regional governments and other industry players to tap into the increasing demand for petroleum products in the region.
National Oil managing director Sumaiya Athumani said, “Our focus is on the large East and central Africa market. There is an evident growing demand for petroleum products and we will engage in partnerships that will make us realise this goal.”
National Oil has been most concentrated on the Kenyan market since its inception. In the recent times, however, the company has revealed plans to venture into the region through strategic partnerships. The most recent venture has been South Sudan where the company will launch its operations.
Industry analysts have point to the fact that the company was positioning itself strategically in the wake of lucrative oil finds in both Kenya and Uganda.
The company currently has more 100 stations in Kenya alone with a number of others still under construction across the country and the region.
Sumaiya said, “We are looking at the oil industry in its totality. We want to support our downstream business through a midstream investment in a jetty. Feasibility studies for this jetty are complete.”
