Baghdad, February 08 (QNA) - Iraq's Ministry of Oil announced that newly established refineries across the country are now operating at full production capacity, noting that this has contributed to classifying Iraq among countries producing high-quality petroleum derivatives.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Deputy Minister Adnan Mohammed Hammoud said that the projects aim to enhance self-sufficiency in white petroleum products and secure the needs of Iraqi citizens for gasoline, kerosene, and gas oil. He noted that the projects will bring about both quantitative and qualitative advancements through the introduction of several advanced refining projects, including distillation units, hydrotreating units, and gasoline upgrading projects.
He explained that Salah Al-Din Refinery (3) and North Refinery (2) were inaugurated with a combined capacity of 140,000 barrels per day, in addition to commissioning the FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) project at Basra Refinery with a capacity of 35,000 barrels per day, as well as a hydrotreating and gasoline upgrading unit in Kirkuk Governorate with a capacity of 11,000 barrels per day.
He added that these projects have contributed to positioning Iraq among countries producing high-quality petroleum derivatives meeting Euro 5 specifications, marking a transition from the consumption phase to the export phase, in addition to operating Karbala Refinery at full capacity.
He affirmed that the Ministry is moving forward with the completion and inauguration of hydrotreating and gasoline upgrading unit at Al-Sumoud Complex / North Refineries Company in the coming days, which will enhance gasoline production volumes and meet domestic consumption needs across all governorates.
At the end of 2025, the Iraqi government decided to halt imports of gasoline, gas oil (diesel), and kerosene, after domestic production reached levels exceeding local consumption rates. (QNA)