Latest news with #FluidCatalyticCracking
Shafaq News
2 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Petroleum graduates stage second protest in Basra over oil jobs
Shafaq News – Basra Unemployed petroleum and engineering graduates staged a second protest in Basra on Sunday, demanding jobs in the oil sector. Dozens rallied outside the Basra Oil Company headquarters, accusing the government of ignoring their repeated appeals. 'Rights are taken, not handed out,' protest representative Hassan al-Shawi told Shafaq News. 'After more than five months of sit-ins with no results, we're escalating through peaceful, sustained demonstrations,' he added. 'Remaining silent in the face of injustice is no longer an option.' Al-Shawi explained that most demonstrators hold degrees in petroleum engineering, geology, or related fields and are seeking daily-wage positions at operational oil companies or contract jobs under the Oil Ministry's Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) project. 'These demands are legitimate and backed by a letter from Prime Minister [Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's] Office,' he noted, stressing that the proposed jobs are exempt from the federal budget law's hiring restrictions. He also rebuked Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani—himself a Basra native—for not intervening despite his familiarity with the graduates' situation. Earlier today, another group of graduates blocked access to the al-Barjisiya oil zone, demanding permanent employment under Resolution 315 and exemption from recent hiring freezes. Protests near Basra's oil fields have grown more frequent, driven by surging unemployment among local graduates and mounting frustration over limited access to jobs, inadequate services, and lack of inclusion in both public and private energy firms operating in the province.
Shafaq News
10-06-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq nears completion of strategic refining project in Basra
Shafaq News / Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani announced on Monday that the Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) unit project at the South Refineries Company in Basra is nearing completion and will soon begin operations. During a visit to the project site, Abdul Ghani described the FCC unit as one of the most strategic developments in the refining sector, expected to significantly curb Iraq's reliance on imported petroleum products. He told Shafaq News Agency that specialized Japanese firms are executing the project with support from the Japanese loan, and that work has reached its final stages ahead of trial operations. The unit is set to produce between 4,200 and 4,500 cubic meters per day of high-octane gasoline (above 92 octane), along with diesel meeting European standards. Abdul Ghani stated that gasoline imports are projected to drop to 2,000–3,000 cubic meters per day, down from over 16,000 in previous years, noting that the annual spending on imported white petroleum products, which exceeded $5 billion two years ago, has since fallen below $1 billion, and is expected to end entirely with the project's completion. He highlighted the role of the Karbala refinery in boosting domestic output, contributing 8,000 to 9,000 cubic meters of gasoline daily and reducing imports to 4,000–5,000 cubic meters. The minister also pointed to progress at the Kirkuk refinery, operated by the North Refineries Company, which is expected to begin trial production soon with a daily output of no less than 1,600 cubic meters of gasoline. He confirmed that trial operations for the FCC project's diesel unit will begin in mid-August, with the gasoline unit to follow. The FCC unit in Basra is part of a wider effort to modernize and expand refining capacity across Iraq, including projects at the Karbala, Kirkuk, Central, and Northern refineries, aimed at improving fuel quality and meeting higher environmental standards.
Iraq Business
18-05-2025
- Business
- Iraq Business
South Refineries Company Nears Completion of FCC Project
By John Lee. Iraq's South Refineries Company (SRC) is nearing the completion of its Fluid Catalytic Cracking (FCC) project, with 98% of the work done. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani, emphasized the importance of boosting production to achieve self-sufficiency in petroleum products during his visit to the site. The project, set to start phased operations in August and full production in September, will have a capacity of 55,000 barrels per day, producing 4,300 cubic meters of Euro 5-compliant gasoline, 300 tons of liquefied gas, 6,000 cubic meters of hydrotreated gas oil, 4,500 tons of improved fuel oil, and 400 tons of solid sulfur per day. (Source: Ministry of Oil)
