Overview

The supply of oil in Cameroon was organized between SONARA, SCDP, CSPH and Petroleum Marketers, though it has changed in recent years with the implementation of foreign companies. Cameroon is a modest oil producer and its production has been decreasing over the past years - it is now at around 80,000/85,000 barrels daily.

The National Petroleum Depots Company (Société Camerounaise des Dépôts Pétroliers) was created on 1 July 1976. Its mission is to ensure an adequate supply of petroleum products in all parts of the national territory. 6 main petroleum storage facilities are functioning around the country. Limbe depot contains fuel 3500 designated only for factories and centrals. The company is also in charge of maintaining the strategic oil storage for the country (security stocks).

The National Refinery Company (Société Nationale de Raffinage – SONARA) is a countrywide entity that was established in 1977. Its mission is to satisfy the domestic demand of all types of combustibles. It owns the only refinery currently operating in the country, located in the area of Limbe, which was inaugurated on 16 May 1981.

SONARA’s total refinery produce in 2018 was 221,286 m³. Production stopped in April 2018, to upgrade the installation in order to reach a capacity of 2,100,000 m³ per year. SONARA imported 963,559 m³ to cover needs for 2018.

It should be mentioned that the distribution of petroleum products in Cameroon is totally liberalized, though the price of diesel oil and petrol is fixed by the government.

The country is obliged to import a less heavy crude oil from Nigeria and neighbouring countries in order to supply its refinery in Limbe, south-west region for the national market needs.

The cost at the filling stations of petroleum products in Cameroon is relatively complex and depends on the international market price. Currently the established cost is the same to all locations where SCDP has depots such as Douala, Yaoundé, Bélabo, Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Bafoussam. The cost of petroleum products (Fuel, diesel oil, kerosene, etc.) in Cameroon is calculated by a state entity, named the Hydrocarbons Prices Stabilization Fund (Caisse de Stabilisation des Prix des Hydrocarbures) (CSPH). The fuel price is fluctuating from place to place depending on the distance between the local main fuel depots and the retailing pump stations. The fixed price is maintained in the same level in all locations where SCDP has depots since September 2008 such as: Douala, Yaoundé, Bélabo, Ngaoundéré, Garoua and Bafoussam.

In Cameroon the sector of petroleum products distribution is dominated by international companies, namely TOTAL, MRS Corlay (former TEXACO Cameroon) and OLA Energy (former Oil Libya). They are owners of the filling stations, although the commercial management is conducted by private individuals or retailers. Therefore, the negotiations in view of securing the supply is directly under the responsibility of the company themselves.

There were a total of 814 petrol stations in Cameroon as of September 2018 for a consumption of 1,900,000 m³ the same year.

Sources:    

https://energies-media.com

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living

Cost at pump/filling stations 

The following attachments show the cost of fuel at filling stations from January 2018.

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 1

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 2

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 3

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 4

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 5

Cameroon - Fuel cost at pump (January 2018) - 6

Source: CSPH

Seasonal Variations 

Currently fuel supply in Cameroon is constant. There are no seasonal variations. The market is correctly supplied.

Fuel Transportation

Over of 80% of fuel and petroleum products consumed in Cameroon is refined by SONARA in the town of Limbe, in the South West Region. The refined fuel is transported by trucks tanks from the refinery to the main depot of Bessengué or Mboppi, both in Douala.

As for the other 20% of the country's oil needs which is imported through the main port of Douala, the fuel is pumped out from the vessels and transported by a pipeline up to the main depot in Bessengué/Douala.

From the main depots in Douala, the fuel is transported by train and trucks tanks to the other depots in the country especially to Yaoundé, Bélabo and Ngaoundéré. The transportation and storage of fuel and petroleum products is the responsibility of SCDP. The Para nationwide company owns a fleet of trucks and sometimes sub-contracts transport with private companies.

Standards, Quality and Testing

The aviation fuel (Jet A1) have depots established only in the three main International Airports of Douala, Yaoundé and Garoua. These depots are managed by international companies TOTAL and MRS Corlay which take care of the quality control. Strict measures and procedures are established to ensure the quality of the aviation fuel. The testing is performed by SONARA at the main SCDP depot in Douala and Yaoundé, where laboratory/testing facilities exist.

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