Iraq's Karbala oil refinery to start production before 2023

Shafaq News/ Production at Iraq's Karbala oil refinery south of Baghdad will begin by the end of the year, oil minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar said on Monday.

The Karbala project has a production capacity of 140,000 barrels of oil per day, the minister added.

"The refinery shall cover the actual need of the domestic market. In addition, it will reduce the imported oil derivatives by 60 percent," Ismail said.

The Minister ascribed the completion of the refinery amid rising oil prices as a "huge economic achievement" for Iraq that might relieve the treasury from a huge financial burden.

"We are adamant about expediting the production from the Karbala refinery despite the challenges," he said.

According to the Minister, production will be commenced in October and upscaled gradually to its full capacity.