A feasibility study was carried out for a refinery expansion project in the south of Iraq, with an additional processing capacity of 70,000 barrels per day (bbl/d). The study assessed the technical, operational, and commercial requirements for expanding the refinery’s processing capability, including crude handling, process unit configuration, utilities, storage, offsites, product slate, logistics, and integration with existing refinery facilities.
The study also reviewed the value optimisation of vacuum bottom, which is one of the heavier refinery streams with significant upgrading potential. Rather than being treated only as low-value residue or fuel oil blending material, vacuum bottom can support additional value creation through further processing routes such as asphalt production, delayed coking, residue upgrading, fuel oil blending, or as feedstock for downstream conversion units, depending on the final refinery configuration and market strategy.
The refinery product range assessed included key refined products such as naphtha, gasoline, kerosene/jet fuel, diesel / gasoil, fuel oil, asphalt/bitumen, sulphur, and other intermediate refinery streams. The study provided a basis for evaluating refinery margin improvement, product diversification, domestic fuel supply enhancement, and the commercial benefits of converting heavier fractions into higher-value products.
