'We had planned to install new crude units to replace some of the older facilities that date back to 1955,' says plant director-general Dathar al-Khashab. 'We signed contracts with Russian companies for this before the war but I expect they will have to be tendered again.' The refinery is producing about 80,000 barrels a day (b/d) of mostly middle distillates for the domestic market, some way below its nameplate operating capacity of 110,000 b/d.

Under the oil-for-food programme, companies had also signed contracts to install isomerisation and diesel-hydro desulphurisation (DHDS) units. The status of these contracts is expected to remain unclear until an Iraq governing authority is appointed. Iraq's other refineries are located at Baiji and Basra. Total refining capacity is around 500,000 b/d. 'Downstream has not suffered much from war damage. Looters have done more damage than the war,' says Al-Khashab.

Daura was originally built by a US team of Foster Wheelerand Kellogg Brown & Root.