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New Plastics Plant opened in Basra

By John Lee.

The Minister of Industry and Minerals, Manhal Aziz Al-Khabbaz, has re-opened a factory making low density polyethylene in Basra.

The plant, run by the General Company for Petrochemical Industries, had been idle for more than 12 years.

Capacity is said to be 120 tons per day, with high quality and high purity.

The Minister wished the company further success in its plans to rehabilitate the high-density polyethylene granules production plant.

(Source: Minister of Industry and Minerals)

The post New Plastics Plant opened in Basra first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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Agreement Signed for Al-Faw Refinery Project

By John Lee.

The preliminary principles agreement for the Al-Faw investment refinery project has been signed in Baghdad.

The refinery will have a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, while the petrochemical complex will be able to produce 3 million tons [per annum?].

The Minister of Oil, Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail, said that this project will enhance the role of Iraq in manufacturing and petrochemical industries and contribute to sustainable development, adding that this contract is valued at 7-8 billion dollars.

The contract was signed by the Director General of South Refineries Company (SRC) Hussam Hussein Wali,  on behalf of the Ministry of Oil, and Yu Fang Chunk, General Manager of Hualu, on behalf of the Chinese side.

Hualu Engineering & Technology is majority controlled by China National Chemical Engineering Company (CNCEC), and describes itself as “an international engineering company proficient in providing project services such as investment and financing, consulting, technology research and development, engineering design, procurement, construction management, commissioning supervision, and plant operation and maintenance.”

(Sources: Ministry of Oil, Hualu)

The post Agreement Signed for Al-Faw Refinery Project first appeared on Iraq Business News.

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Shell “Still Evaluating” Viability of Nebras Petrochemicals Complex

By John Lee.

Shell is reported to be still in the process of evaluating the viability of the $11-billion Nebras petrochemical complex in Basra.

The project was designed to produce 1.8 million mt/year of various petrochemicals, using naphtha as a feedstock.

Last year, Reuters reported that Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) was in talks to join the project, but according to S&P Global Platts there has been no update on the progress of these talks.

(Source: S&P Global Platts)

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Saudi’s SABIC “in talks” to join Nebras Petchem Project

By John Lee.

Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) is in talks to join Iraq’s Nebras petrochemical project, according to a report from Reuters.

An advisor to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told the news agency at the CWC Iraq Petroleum Conference in Berlin that talks are at advanced stage at ministerial level.

He said SABIC would enter as a fourth partner in the project, along with Shell and the Iraqi oil and agriculture ministries.

(Source: Reuters)

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Chinese Companies Win Al-Faw Projects

By John Lee.

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has awarded the Al Faw [Al Fao] refinery and petrochemicals project to two Chinese companies.

In a statement, the ministy named the companies as Power China and “Nerco Chinese Companies“.

Mr. Assim Jihad, the spokesman of the Ministry,  said the refinery will have a capacity is 300,000 barrels/day.

He added that the project contains an integrated complex for petrochemicals, in addition to another facilities near the export port in Faw.

The ministry is planning to become self-sufficient in oil products by investing in the refining sector, and to become an exporting country.

Invitations will soon be issued to investment companies to participate in the Anbar refinery (150,000 bpd), Qayara refinery (10,000 bpd), and Thi-Qar [Dhi Qar] refinery (150,000 bpd), in addition to other projects to be announced soon.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

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Saudi, Iraq sign 18 Major Energy Deals

By John Lee.

Saudi Arabian companies have signed 18 agreements with the Iraqi government to jointly develop several key projects in the energy sector.

The statement from the Iraqi Oil Ministry gave little detail, but quotes the Saudi Minister of Energy Khalid Al-Falih as saying that Saudi companies are keen to develop relations with Iraq, adding that several important Saudi companies will open their branches in Iraq to “achieve more bilateral cooperation and expand the size of investments in the sectors of oil, gas, industry, importing, infrastructure and [other sectors].”

According to Reuters, both petrochemical giant Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) and Saudi Arabia’s Industrialization & Energy Services Co (TAQA) are planning to open offices in Iraq.

(Sources: Iraqi Oil Ministry, Reuters)

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Japanese Company considers Gas Pipeline and Petchem Plant

By John Lee.

Iraq has reportedly contracted Japan’s Toyo Engineering to help build a gas pipeline to Kuwait and a petrochemical plant as Baghdad.

According to a report from Reuters, the move will help Iraq to reduce flaring and finish paying the reparations owed to Kuwait for the invasion in 1990.

The project would allow Kuwait to reduce its dependency on Qatar as a supplier of gas; deliveries could begin as early as 2019.

It would also deal a blow to Shell, which aimed to be the dominant gas player in Iraq before relations with Baghdad soured following it’s planned exit from the Majnoon oil project.

Toyo told Reuters that talks are ongoing and a final decision has not yet been made.

(Source: Reuters)