The Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil confirmed the Ministry’s intention to reach self-sufficiency in petroleum products during the second quarter of the year 2024 after the completion of a number of important projects in the refinery sector. This came during the opening of the project to complete the fourth refining unit with a capacity of (70) thousand barrels at the Southern Refineries Company in Basra Governorate.
Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Mr. Hayan Abdul Ghani, said in a speech during the ceremony that operating this unit will provide large quantities of petroleum products, including naphtha, gas oil, kerosene, liquid gas, and others to cover a large part of the local need.
The Minister of Oil indicated that the project was among the priorities of the government program and was completed in a record period by the national effort after the reluctance of foreign companies. Praising the national effort represented by the employees of the South Refineries Company and the supporting parties that were able to overcome all the difficulties and obstacles that accompanied the stages of project implementation during the past years.
For his part, the General Manager of the South Refineries Company, Mr. Hossam Hussein Wali, said that the company fulfilled its obligations to the government and the ministry by completing the project within the planned period, stressing that the production of this unit of petroleum products will cover a large part of the local need, especially gas oil and kerosene, and that the company contributes through Projects to increase refining capacity to meet local needs and improve the quality of petroleum products.
While the spokesman for the Ministry of Oil, Mr. Assem Jihad, said that the opening of the fourth unit, with a capacity of (70) thousand barrels per day, will contribute to raising the total refining capacity of the South Refineries Company to 280 thousand barrels per day.
Jihad explained that the first stage will witness the opening of the isomerization unit to improve the quality of products in the refinery, in addition to proceeding with the completion of the (FFC) project, which is considered one of the most promising projects and represents a qualitative leap in upgrading petroleum products to (Euro 5).
The celebration was attended by a number of members of the House of Representatives and the Governor of Basra.
