Adnoc has significantly ramped up imports of Iraqi straight run fuel oil (SRFO) in recent months with volumes averaging 33,600 b/d (8 cargoes total) through January-May according to Kpler, as the state firm secures new feedstock for its 837,000 b/d Ruwais refining complex.

Operations at Ruwais have been transformed following the late-2023 completion of the Crude Flexibility Project (CFP) upgrades to the 417,000 b/d Ruwais West refinery in late-2023. This enabled Adnoc Global Trading (Adnoc 65%, Eni 20%, Austria’s OMV 15%) to replace light Murban crude feedstock with heavier barrels; primarily domestic Upper Zakum. Adnoc has now announced that Murban will be sent back to Ruwais West from August (MEES, 6 June), raising the possibility of SRFO being blended with Murban to create a heavier feedstock. Alternatively SRFO could be fed straight into secondary units to produce higher value distillates. (CONTINUED - 335 WORDS)

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