Iraq boosts refining capacity with new upgrading unit in Kirkuk
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Production and loading have commenced at Kirkuk’s hydrogenation and gasoline investment unit, a source at the Kirkuk refinery confirmed on Sunday.
Designed to operate at a capacity of 12,000 barrels per day, the project is expected to yield about 1.6 million liters of upgraded gasoline (octane 92) daily, alongside liquid gas.
The source emphasized that the project is part of the Ministry of Oil’s broader effort to expand refining projects. Last month, Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani officially inaugurated the unit, highlighting its role in reducing imports and meeting a substantial portion of the country’s rising domestic demand for petroleum derivatives.
Following the inauguration, Abdul Ghani announced that the annual spending on imported gasoline had been reduced from $5 billion to $500 million.
In turn, Kirkuk Governor Rebwar Taha described the project as a “qualitative leap” for Iraq’s oil investment sector, underlining that the unit will supply upgraded gasoline to Kirkuk and neighboring provinces.
The Jambur North oil field, one of Kirkuk’s oldest and most significant fields, lies northeast of the city near the Kirkuk and Bay Hassan fields. Production began there in August 1959 and encompasses dozens of wells that have seen extensive activity over the decades.
A portion of the oil processed at the Kirkuk refinery comes from the Jambur North oil field, one of the province’s oldest and most significant fields. Located northeast of the city near the Kirkuk and Bay Hassan fields, Jambur North began production in August 1959 and encompasses dozens of wells that have been active over the decades.
Production had declined after several wells were shut down, but recent development work has brought around 20 wells back online, gradually increasing output.
