New oil refinery opened in Diwaniya

DIWANIYA / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s oil minister on Friday opened a refinery at al-Shanafiya district, 80 km western Diwaniya province, at a production capacity of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), noting the second stage of this refinery, to be completed by mid-2009, will double its production. “The refinery produces four oil derivatives,” Hussein al-Shahrestani said in a speech during ceremonies to inaugurate the refinery. “The refinery was designed and constructed by Iraqi staff by 100%,” he added. For his part, the Diwaniya governor told IraqiNews.com that the oil facility “would meet more than 50% of the province’s consumption of oil products”. Diwaniya lies 180 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad. MH (P)/AmR 1