Samir will go to Nador West Med. The Moroccan Refining Industry Company is preparing to set up in this port complex, which will be built in the bay of Betoya, 30 km west of Nador. "We are following the development of this major project very closely. Due to its positioning in the economy and the oil sector in particular, Samir must be present at Nador West Med. We have the ambition to invest in storage depots to strengthen our positioning both in the local market and for export. We will submit our application as soon as the Moroccan authorities open the way," Jamal Ba-Amer, Director General of Samir, told "Le Matin". The boss of the Moroccan subsidiary of the Corral group was speaking on June 28 in Casablanca, on the occasion of the presentation of his service station project and the launch of the new "Samir Lubricants" range. With an investment of 5.9 billion DH, the first phase of the Nador West Med port complex will, as a reminder, consist of a deep-water port including terminals dedicated to petroleum products and bulk and miscellaneous goods. In this first stage, the port will be equipped, among other things, with two berths dedicated to refined petroleum products with a total processing capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes per year, before being strengthened in a second phase by two other structures dedicated to crude oil with a total processing capacity of approximately 20 million tonnes per year. The cost related to this extension is estimated at 1.6 billion DH.

Samir, which operates in the production and distribution of refined products (notably propane, butane, jet fuel, unleaded petrol, 50 ppm diesel, base oils, bitumen, and sulphur), currently has an annual refining capacity of 10 million tonnes, with a storage capacity of 2 million m3. Its installation at Nador West Med will allow it to position itself in the Oriental market, but also, on the import/export side, vis-à-vis the markets of Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa. The refiner reportedly lost between 13 points of local market share between 2011 and 2012 (from 70% in 2011 according to a CDVM information note, this share fell to 57% in 2012, according to Samir's figures this time). The group therefore has no choice but to continue investing more to safeguard its positioning. Over the last eight years, Samir has invested more than 18 billion DH, notably to strengthen its production and storage capacities. Jamal Ba-Amer confided to "Le Matin" that production capacities will not be increased in the short and medium term, as the 10 million tonnes are sufficient. However, the company intends to consolidate and diversify into other activities. On the programme, therefore, is the strengthening of the group's logistical influence through access to new storage facilities and the start of its investment in its logistics subsidiary TSPP (which notably plans the construction of the JetA1 pipeline connecting the refinery to Mohammed V airport). The refiner also cites the reorientation of part of production towards export (with the objective of achieving 20% of turnover within 3 years), mainly towards African markets, which should represent 30% of Samir's market in the medium term.

There is also the strong comeback in the distribution market through its subsidiary SDCC (Fuel and Combustible Distribution Company). Up to 1 billion DH of investment is planned by 2017 to build a network of 150 to 200 service stations. The start of distribution is scheduled for next October with around thirty stations. The ambition is to manage to capture 15 to 20% of market share in the medium term in an activity where demand is increasing by an average of 6% per year. Currently, it is 11 million tonnes per year.