Albania - Oil and GasAlbania - Oil and Gas
This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.
Overview
State-run oil firm AlbPetrol estimates that Albania has recoverable oil reserves of around 120 million barrels, and natural gas reserves of 5.7 billion m3 gas. Patos-Marinza is one of continental Europe’s largest oilfields, and onshore and offshore oil and gas opportunities have attracted dozens of international companies to Albania over the years. Since 1992, dozens of new onshore wells have been drilled and thousands of new 2D, and some 3D, seismic profiles have been completed, onshore and offshore.
Companies that currently hold production-sharing agreements with AlbPetrol include:Oil
- Patos Marinza – Bankers Petroleum (2004);
- Kucova – Sherwood International Petroleum/ Bankers Petroleum (2007)
- Visoka – Transoil Group (2009);
- Ballsh Hekal – Anio Oil and Gas (2016);
- Finiq-Krane and Pekisht-Murriz – Fin-Pek Petroleum (2016);
- Cakran-Mollaj, Gorisht –Kocul, and Amonica - Transoil Group (2018)
- Divjake, Ballaj-Kryevidh, Povelce, Panaja, Finiq-Karne, and Frakull – AlbPetrol
- Delvina – Delvina Gas Ltd (2016)
| Company | Oil and Gas Field | 2013 (ton) | 2014 (ton) | 2015 (ton) | 2016 (ton) | 2017 (ton) | 2018 (ton) |
| Bankers Petroleum | Patos-Marinza | 1,061,000 | 1,211,832 | 1,131,625 | 922,443 | 836,500 | 793.600 |
| TransAtlantic/ Continental Oil & Gas/ Anio Oil | Ballsh-Hekal | 5,900 | 6,185 | 5,793 | No data | No data | 6,794 |
| Sherwood International | Kucova | 100 | 190 | 2,688 | 2,731 | 1,066 | 1,634 |
| Transoil Group | Visoka | 22,300 | 24,529 | 27,190 | 23,515 | 20,643 | 18,908 |
| Fin-Pek Petroleum | Amonicë–Pekisht-Finiq | 1,510 | 5,053 | 5,996 | 3,921 | 458 | 352 |
| AlbPetrol | Other | 37,320 | 45,386 | 47,574 | 46,959 | 92,800 | 89,458 |
| TOTAL | 1,209,300 | 1,368,222 | 1,279,253 | 1,046,401 | 956,001 | 910,760 |
Map valid as of September 2017
Albania’s territory is divided into the following onshore and offshore blocks, some of which may offer opportunities for exploration and development of oil and gas fields.
The licensing of all vacant blocks is administered by the National Agency of Natural Resources (AKBN.)
Shell Upstream Albania, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, operates in blocks 2 and 3, where the company is currently assesing the commercial viability of its discovery of oil and gas. In 2018, Shell also signed an agreement for block 4.
Cox Oil, a U.S. company based in Dallas, was awarded a lease in onshore Block 5 in 2018 and is currently finalizing its contract with the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
Onshore blocks 1, 6, 7, 8, A, B, C, D, E, Dumre, and Panaja are vacant, and all offshore blocks are vacant.
Refining and oil imports & exports:
Albania has two aging refineries at Ballsh and Fier with refining capacity of 1 million tons and 0.5 million tons, respectively. In 2017, a third refinery began operations near Elbasan with an annual refining capacity of 250,000 tons. Albania exports much of its crude oil and imports most of its refined fuel. In 2018, imports under chapter 27 reached almost $600 million, while exports amounted to $380 million.
Refined crude oil from Albania’s refineries:
| Year | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
| Quantity of crude oil exported (ton) | 935,947 | 1,197,643 | 1,057,137 | 961,288 | 874,251 | 297,429 | 565,728 |
| Quantity of refined crude oil (ton) | 106,929 | 62,225 | 300,000 | 353,768 | 170,767 | 515,488 |
Albania has two coastal oil and gas terminals: Porto Romano in Durres, and Petrolifera in Vlora. Each has capacity to store liquid petroleum gas, crude oil, diesel, gas, and additional liquids and dry products.
Gas market: Albania has no natural gas production and remains unconnected to regional gas networks. The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), construction of which is underway and scheduled to finish in 2019, is expected to play a role in developing Albania's energy market and facilitate the government's objective of becoming a gas hub in the Western Balkans.
For TAP-related opportunities, please visit: Trans Adriatic Pipeline
Leading Sub-Sectors
• Gas pipeline equipment• Midstream oil equipment, including oil and gas pipelines and storage
• Equipment and services for offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration and production
• Oil and gas terminal products
• Gas station equipment, including for transportation
• Oil and oil by-products.
Opportunities
Existing oil production operations, and current and new oil and gas exploration licenses, both onshore and offshore, may represent opportunities to U.S. oil and gas companies and affiliated oil and gas service providers. The Trans-Adriatic Pipeline may offer opportunities for salt-dome gas storage, thermal energy generation, and the construction of downstream gas infrastructure and interconnectors. Plans are in place to expand the Southern Gas Corridor to include additional connectors, including the planned-Ionian Adriatic pipeline (IAP). The IAP, which would connect to TAP near the Albanian city of Fier, would carry up to 5 bcm of gas to Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Opportunities also exist for exports of U.S. oil products, since Albania must import almost all of its refined fuel. The planned rehabilitation of a now-dormant thermal power station in Vlore could represent opportunities for U.S. exports of liquid natural gas.
Web Resources
Trans Adriatic PipelineNational Agency of Natural Resource
Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy
AlbPetrol
Shell Global
Bankers Petroleum LTD
Transoil Group
Romanoport
La Petrolifera Italo Albanese Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.