Foreign workers exit Iraq’s Basra refinery project amid regional tensions
Shafaq News- Basra
All foreign personnel working on the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) project at Basra’s South Refineries Company have left Iraq via land routes to Jordan, a source told Shafaq News on Friday, citing escalating regional security tensions.
Many foreign workers have exited Iraq’s oil sector since the latest escalation, with output dropping to about 80% of capacity, partly due to disruptions affecting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The FCC project is designed to convert heavy residual fuel into higher-value products, including high-octane gasoline, diesel, and gas oil that meet Euro 5 standards, with a planned capacity of 55,000 barrels per day, aimed at reducing imports and lowering costs.
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