Iraq Eyes 2024 Refining Boost With 150,000 b/d Baiji CDU Re-Build

3 Nov 2023 Issue: 66 / 44 By: Yesar Al-Maleki

Iraq’s oil ministry says it can bring back a destroyed 150,000 b/d CDU at the Baiji refinery without foreign help. Success will be a feat, whilst delays at the new 140,000 b/d Karbala refinery and mishaps elsewhere cast doubts on Baghdad’s refining targets.

Once Iraq’s largest refining complex, Baiji is seeing noticeable activity after state firm North Refineries Company (NRC) earlier this year began work to re-build the 150,000 b/d North (Shamal) CDU and associated units. Like the rest of Baiji, the North CDU, which was Baiji’s largest unit, was severely damaged by the Islamic State terrorist group when it overran the refinery in 2014 (MEES, 26 September 2014).

Now, Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayan Abdulghani has set an ambitious target for it “to begin operations” by 1Q 2024. If successful, this would bring back Baiji capacity to its original 290,000 b/d, after the 70,000 b/d Saladin 1 and 2 units were gradually re-built in 2018 and 2019 (MEES, 1 February 2019). It would also constitute a significant boost to Iraq’s overall refining capacity. (CONTINUED - 1148 WORDS)