Southern Refineries Announce Continued Daily Gasoline Output and Adopt Land Routes for Oil Surplus Exports

Southern Refineries Company announced on Sunday that its daily gasoline production reaches 6,000 cubic meters, noting the adoption of land routes for exporting oil surpluses in cooperation with the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). The General Manager of the company, Hussam Hussein Wali, stated that Southern Refineries continue to produce approximately 250,000 barrels per day of petroleum derivatives, confirming the continuous supply of the local market with its full needs. He clarified that the repercussions of recent events in the Arabian Gulf region were limited to the export operations of fuel oil and naphtha surpluses, without affecting gasoline. Wali added that the three operational production units currently produce about 6,000 cubic meters of gasoline daily, which ensures meeting the demands of the local market and contributes to its stability. He explained that the design capacity of Basra Refinery is 280,000 barrels per day, but the high temperatures during the summer season necessitated reducing operating rates to approximately 250,000 barrels per day, in order to maintain the stability and operational efficiency of the production units. He pointed out that military events in the Gulf region affected the export operations of fuel oil and naphtha surpluses that were previously conducted via Khor Al Zubair port. Consequently, the company, in coordination with SOMO, adopted northern land routes to export a portion of these quantities, although with lower capacities compared to the port. Wali further clarified that the refinery currently operates three production units with a capacity of approximately 180,000 barrels per day, with the possibility of operating a fourth unit when there is a need to increase surplus disposal, thereby raising the total operating capacity to about 250,000 barrels per day. He noted that the company had imported quantities of gasoline and gas oil in the past period due to the halt of one of the production units and the consequent decrease in stock. He concluded by affirming that the local market is stable and its needs are fully secured through a combination of local production and import operations.