Iraq's North Refineries Co. produces "super" gasoline for first time

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Ministry of Oil announced the production of super unleaded fuel that has an octane rating of 98 in the North Refineries Company for the first time, with an output of 3.5 million liters.

The ministry's statement highlighted that this accomplishment "aligns with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's directive to rebuild all damaged and halted production units at the North Refineries Company since 2014. The goal is to enhance the technical specifications of petroleum products and increase the refining capacity of national refineries to achieve self-sufficiency and halt imports."

The ministry praised the "dedicated efforts of the North Refineries Company's workers and supporting entities, as well as the company's general manager, for upgrading the technical specifications of the gasoline improvement unit from a 92 octane to the global standard of 98."

In February, the Iraqi Prime Minister inaugurated the North Refinery project, once the country's largest oil refinery, with a capacity of 250,000 barrels per day.

The North Refinery in the city of Baiji, 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Baghdad, was heavily damaged during some of the fiercest battles with ISIS after it swept across a third of Iraq in 2014.

Iraq has 145 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, which amount to 96 years' worth of production at the current rate, according to the World Bank.