Photo: PRT Economic Development Team at the Baiji Oil RefinerySalah Ad Din Province, Iraq Kit Redmer, PRT Economic Development Team leader, Steve Buckler, PRT Team leader, and Christina Weydig, Economic Officer from Embassy Baghdad are pictured at the Baiji Oil Refinery, north of Tikrit in Salah Ad Din Province. The Baiji Oil Refinery supplies northern Iraq with much of its petroleum products. The refinery operates far below capacity. Production has suffered the toll of years of poor maintenance, loss of key technical staff, current distribution problems including fuel theft and smuggling, and excessive quantities of heavy fuel oil that must be sent elsewhere for further refining. These difficulties are compounded by insurgent intimidation and threats. The Provincial Reconstruction Team and Multinational Forces North work closely with many Iraqi authorities to mitigate these problems. Production figures are slowly improving as are public Iraqi perceptions that the fuel crisis is easing.
April 8, 2007 |
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