Syrian Energy Minister announces the resumption of work at the Baniyas refinery after a 4-month halt.
The Minister of Energy in the Interim Syrian Government, Engineer Mohammad Al-Bashir, announced the reopening of the Baniyas refinery in the countryside of Tartous, after a four-month shutdown due to a lack of crude oil supplies.
Al-Bashir explained that the resumption of operations came after the arrival of new oil shipments through official tenders, aiming to meet the country's needs for petroleum products.
During a work tour at the refinery, the minister inspected the production stages and operating units, and received a detailed explanation of the maintenance and development work carried out during the shutdown period, which included equipment upgrades to enhance operational efficiency to ensure meeting part of the local fuel demand.
The minister, as reported by "SANA" agency, emphasized that the reopening is part of the Energy Ministry's strategy to stabilize the oil sector and secure essential supplies for citizens, despite the "technical and logistical challenges facing the operation."
He noted that the incoming crude oil quantities are sufficient to start production according to the planned schedule, affirming that the government gives high priority to reforming the energy sector infrastructure and enhancing transparency in resource management, in support of "the economic development path."
On the other hand, technical sources at the refinery revealed that the current production capacity is approximately 95,000 barrels per day, with most of the production expected to be allocated to meet the local market's needs for petroleum products such as diesel and gasoline, as part of the gradual operation plan to avoid repeating previous crises.
It is worth mentioning that the Energy Minister held a closed meeting with the refinery's staff to evaluate its performance during the past period and discuss proposals to increase future processing capacity, especially in light of challenges related to supply continuity.
