Explosion of war remnants injures four workers at Iraq's largest refinery in Baiji: Source

Shafaq News/ Several workers were injured in an explosion of war remnants inside the Baiji Oil Refinery in northern Saladin province, an Iraqi police source reported on Saturday.

The source told Shafaq News, “A projectile from an MK 19 weapon, leftover from the war against ISIS, exploded within the refinery, injuring four workers who were close to the projectile while on duty.”

The Baiji refinery, Iraq’s largest, plays an important role in the country’s oil production, responsible for about one-third of its output.

Located 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Baghdad, Baiji once had a refining capacity of 310,000 bpd before its closure in 2014, following its capture by ISIS fighters who looted oil and petroleum products from territories they controlled.

After the area was liberated in 2015, the refinery sustained significant losses, with equipment and machinery stolen. Armed groups involved in the military operations were accused of looting and selling the refinery’s assets.

In February 2024, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani inaugurated the North Refinery in Baiji. After extensive rehabilitation, the refinery was partially reopened, with a refining capacity of 150,000 bpd. This restart raises the total refining capacity of the Baiji complex to 290,000 bpd.

Prime Minister Shia Al-Sudani recently announced the recovery of some stolen equipment from the refinery.