Baghdad:Minister of Oil Bassem Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi engaged in discussions with Japanese Chargé d’Affaires to Iraq Yamada Tetsuya and a Japanese delegation, focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation and initiating operations at the FCC project.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the meeting included a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) led by Uchida Kumiko, and representatives from the Japanese company JGC, with Ministry Adviser Hamid Younis also in attendance.

The discussions reviewed the procedures and stages necessary to start operations. They also explored coordination and cooperation mechanisms between the Ministry of Oil, the Japanese side, and the executing company to advance the project and leverage Japan’s advanced technologies and expertise.

The FCC (Fluid Catalytic Cracking) project, located at the Southern Refineries Company in Basra Governorate, is a strategic initiative aimed at transforming low-value heavy fuel oil residues into high-quality white petroleum products.