Iraq joins producers of high-quality petroleum products
Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq has brought new refineries into operation at full production capacity, the Oil Ministry said on Sunday, clarifying that this move has contributed to classify the country among producers of high-quality petroleum products.
In a statement by the ministry, the Deputy Oil Minister for Refining Affairs, Adnan Mohammed Hamoud, said Iraq inaugurated Salahaddin Refinery-3 and North Refinery-2 with a combined capacity of 140,000 barrels per day, alongside commissioning an FCC (fluid catalytic cracking) unit at the Basra Refinery with a capacity of 35,000 barrels per day, and a hydrotreating and gasoline upgrading unit in Kirkuk with a capacity of 11,000 barrels per day.
The projects aim to strengthen self-sufficiency in white oil products, including gasoline, kerosene, and gas oil, he noted, adding that they enabled Iraq to operate the Karbala Refinery at 100% capacity, and to produce petroleum derivatives that meet Euro 5 specifications, shifting the country from a consumption phase to export.
Additionally, the ministry is moving to complete and commission the hydrotreating and gasoline upgrading unit at the Al-Sumoud Complex, operated by the North Refineries Company, in the coming days.
Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has announced that Iraq aims to export refined oil products to global markets by 2030. Authorities formally halted fuel imports in November after achieving self-sufficiency in gasoline, diesel, and kerosene.
Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, continues to rely heavily on imports due to challenges such as security threats, political instability, aging infrastructure, and resource depletion. Gas flaring and opaque contracts further complicate its energy sector, driving higher demand for refined oil products.
