Iraq’s gasoline production reaches 24,800 cubic meters per day
Men work at the Rumaila oil refinery, near the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Photo: AP
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Prime Minister, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, stated on Saturday that Iraq’s gasoline production reached 24,800 cubic meters per day, up from 15,000 cubic meters per day in 2022.
Al-Sudani’s remarks took place during the inauguration of a high-octane gasoline isomerization unit in the Basra Refinery, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The Iraqi Prime Minister noted the importance of the inauguration of the new isomerization unit as it will help the country cover its needs for oil derivatives and stop the import of petroleum products, which lasted for many years.
The operation of the isomerization unit will increase Iraq’s production of high-octane gasoline to 11,000 barrels per day, reduce the country’s imports of gasoline, and save more than $200 million annually.
The project is part of the Iraqi government’s plans to achieve self-sufficiency in oil derivatives and will increase the refining capacity of petroleum products and improve their quality.
In mid-May, Iraq’s Southern Refineries Company signed a contract with China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC) for the construction of the Al-Faw Investment Refinery project.
With a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, the refinery will meet all environmental regulations worldwide and utilize cutting-edge technology to produce oil derivatives for both domestic and international markets.
The project will be carried out in two stages: the first will involve refining operations, while the second will involve constructing a three million-ton-per-year petrochemical complex.
Last December, the Director of Karbala Refinery, Haider Al-Hasani, confirmed that the refinery covers between 50 and 60 percent of the country’s needs.
The Karbala Refinery’s fuel products are better than imported products, as the refinery was built to maximize the production of different types of gasoline, including high-octane fuel.
The refinery’s current production capacity is approximately eight million liters of different types of fuel.
The refinery produces four million liters of red diesel, three million liters of white oil, jet fuel, sulfur, and asphalt, which are characterized by high purity.