Refineries Blockaded as Protests Continue

By John Lee.

Anti-government protesters reportedly blocked the entrance to the Nassiriya oil refinery on Wednesday.

Sources told Reuters that protesters blocked tankers from entering the refinery, causing fuel shortages across Dhi Qar province.

The refinery has capacity of 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), but has recently been producing only 15,000-20,000 bpd.

Anadolu Agency also reported that protesters have closed the Al-Shanafiyah oil refinery, south of the province of Diwaniya.

The source said that hundreds of protesters prevented oil trucks from entering or exiting the facility.

(Sources: Reuters, Middle East Monitor)

Refineries Blockaded as Protests Continue

By John Lee.

Anti-government protesters reportedly blocked the entrance to the Nassiriya oil refinery on Wednesday.

Sources told Reuters that protesters blocked tankers from entering the refinery, causing fuel shortages across Dhi Qar province.

The refinery has capacity of 30,000 barrels per day (bpd), but has recently been producing only 15,000-20,000 bpd.

Anadolu Agency also reported that protesters have closed the Al-Shanafiyah oil refinery, south of the province of Diwaniya.

The source said that hundreds of protesters prevented oil trucks from entering or exiting the facility.

(Sources: Reuters, Middle East Monitor)

Canadian Firm Wins Nassiriya Refinery Contract

Iraq’s Oil Ministry has approved a preliminary agreement with Vancouver-based Pacific Future Energy to build a refinery in Nassiriya.

Pacific is likely to work on the project in tandem with SNC-Lavalin, a Montreal-based engineering and construction firm that has a partnership with Pacific dating back to 2015, and longstanding ties in Iraq.

More details here from Iraq Oil Report (subscription required)

(Source: Iraq Oil Report)

Total may Bid for Nassirya Oil Refinery

By John Lee.

France’s Total is said to be interested in bidding to build the greenfield 150,000-bpd Nassirya oil refinery.

The Director General of the Dhi Qar Oil Company (DQOC), Ali Warid Hammood, told Reuters at the CWC Iraq Petroleum Conference in Berlin that bids are still open for the project, and that international oil companies interested in the project would be bidding as refiners only.

The project was initially offered as part of the Nassiriya Integrated Project (NIP), tying it to oilfield development. In January 2018, Iraq dropped the NIP, saying it will rely on a newly formed state oil company to develop the Nassiriya oil field, and leaving only the nearby refinery project for investors.

Hammood confirmed to Reuters that DQOC will develop the field by itself.

It is currently producing 80,000-100,000 barrels of oil per day, with plans to double capacity within three years.

(Source: Reuters)