Iraq has increased its refining capacity to 1.3 million barrels per day (mmbl/d), positioning itself among the top Arab countries in the sector, Iraq News Agency (INA) reported, citing the media office of Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani.
According to the statement, Iraq is moving closer to its target of reaching 1.65 mmbl/d in refining capacity, a goal set by Al-Sudani on March 30, 2025. It added that this development will enable the country to achieve self-sufficiency of most of the petroleum products, noting that the consumption reached 1.1 mmbl/d in 2024.
In addition, the Iraqi Oil Ministry declared that it has started loading its largest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker, which can carry up to 20,000 tons of semi-chilled gas through Basra Gas Export port, INA stated based on a statement.
Ezzat Sabir Ismail, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil for Gas Affairs, said that the Ministry of Oil is looking forward to increasing LPG production and exporting the surplus outside the country.
Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, is pressing ahead with major development plans to expand its oil and gas sector. The government is targeting increased refining capacity to reduce reliance on fuel imports and strengthen domestic supply. At the same time, efforts are underway to boost crude oil output capacity toward 6 million barrels per day over the next few years.