On 9 May, Syrian authorities reported a fire at the 120,000 b/d capacity Homs refinery in the west of the country. The refinery operates well below nameplate capacity due to war damage and feedstock shortages.
Oil Minister Bassam Tomeh says the fire was at the one of the plant’s CDUs, so-called ‘CDU 100’, and blamed it on “crude leaking from a pumping station when transported between two distillation towers.” This fire came barely one month after a similar fire broke out on 6 April at a second CDU (‘CDU 21’). Speaking to Syrian Television, Mr Tomeh says that the refinery “did not cease operations.” (CONTINUED - 1283 WORDS)
