Iran Press/Middle East: Oil minister Ihsan Ismael told the Iraq Oil Report website last Tuesday that the country would not need to import any petrol or gas oil by the end of 2023.
Increased capacity at the Nassiriya, Dhi Qar, Basra, Shuaiba, Baija, and Karbala refineries is expected to help in reducing Iraq's dependence on imports.
Years of war and sanctions have left the country unable to meet domestic energy requirements despite it being Opec’s second-largest producer.
Baghdad, which has prioritized the production of crude to boost revenue, intends to upgrade its refineries, which are some of the oldest in the region.
This will hasten efforts to achieve self-reliance and curb imports at a time of dire economic distress.
Iraq’s refining throughput stood at 611,000 barrels per day at the end of 2019, according to the BP Statistical Review of Energy.
Its capacity is relatively small compared to the country’s oil production, which stood at about 3.8 million bpd in February, based on secondary Opec sources.
Iraq plans to upgrade its refinery at Karbala, in the country's south, by the end of 2023, with a 70,000-bpd first phase set for completion next year.
Iraq’s South Refineries Company also plans to make critical upgrades at the units it operates, including the Shuaiba refinery in Basra.
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