Iraq has finally brought online a new 70,000 b/d CDU at the Basrah Refinery after years of delay, providing a key boost to a country which has suffered severe fuel shortages. Commissioning has yet to be completed, but the unit is now partially operational, with startup following full commissioning of the 140,000 b/d Karbala Refinery in late-September (MEES, 29 September). Basrah’s fourth CDU boosts the plant’s overall capacity from 210,000 b/d to 280,000 b/d.
The project was awarded to TechnoExport in 2015, but work was delayed by financial disputes with the Czech firm since 2018. In September, Baghdad withdrew TechnoExport’s EPC contract and instructed refinery owner South Refineries Company to commission the project with TechnoExport’s existing sub-contractors (MEES, 15 September). (CONTINUED - 884 WORDS)
