TIKRIT: Iraq’s biggest oil refinery, Baiji, has been shut down and its foreign staff evacuated, refinery officials said yesterday, adding that local staff remain in place and the military is still in control of the facility. The refinery shut down overnight, the sources said.
Baiji is one of three oil refineries in Iraq and only processes oil from the north. The other two are located in Baghdad and the south and are firmly under government control and operational.
“Due to the recent attacks of militants by mortars, the refinery administration decided to evacuate foreign workers for their safety and also to completely shut down production units to avoid extensive damage that could result,” a chief engineer at the refinery said on condition of anonymity.
Brent oil held steady above $113 per barrel and US crude weakened slightly as fears over oil supply disruptions from Iraq offset the possibility of increased supply due to a thawing of relations between Iran and the West.
Reuters
