Iraqi News Iraqi Officials Lament Failure To Refine More Oil

[donwells]

Iraqi officials say several factors have resulted in the country needing to import some 60 percent of its refined oil despite having huge reserves, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reports.

Ali Hassan Ballu, chairman of the parliament's Oil and Gas Committee, told RFE/RL on February 2 that a huge increase in demand from Iraqi consumers along with outdated refineries, a lack of investment, and insurgent attacks on oil resources have forced Iraq to import a majority of its oil by-products.

More specifically, Ballu said Iraq has some refineries operating at just 50 percent capacity that can only turn crude into low-grade petroleum oil. He added that the government has also not invested in much-needed new catalytic-cracking facilities