Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Oil Ministry announced on Sunday its intention to raise the production capacity of al-Somoud refinery, formerly Baiji, in Saladin Governorate to 150 thousand barrels per day (bpd) after its rehabilitation.

In a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, Undersecretary for Refineries Affairs Hamid Younis said that the Ministry of Oil is keen to expedite the implementation of projects and plans to rehabilitate the production units of al-Somoud refinery in Baiji and to resume full production capacity, indicating that today, he chaired a meeting to discuss the rehabilitation program for the North Refinery to raise the capacity of 150,000 bpd.

Younis explained that based on Minister Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail's directives to expedite the development of a timetable for reconstructing the North Refinery, the meeting discussed the mechanisms and a rehabilitation program.

Younis added that the ministry was able to rehabilitate and operate Saladin Refineries 1 and 2, and the external refineries of the North Refineries Company, explaining that it is currently working on developing production in it by adding units to increase production and improve its quality.

According to the statement, the meeting was attended by the general managers of North Refineries companies, projects and engineering equipment, and the concerned departments at the Ministry's headquarters.