Iraq’s Ministry of Oil has given contractors until 31 July to submit bids for the contract to build the planned 70,000 barrel-a-day (b/d) refinery in Diwaniya.

The contract will use a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model and is estimated to be worth $350m.

The Diwaniya Refinery is one of several downstream projects that Iraq’s Oil Ministry is trying to push forward as it seeks to boost the country’s refining capacity.

Earlier this month Iraq revived the 100,000 (b/d) Wasit Refinery Project.

Iraq has also signed a contract with PowerChina and Norinco International to build the planned 300,000 (b/d) oil refinery at the port of Faw, near Basra.

The scope of the project includes a crude distillation unit, isomerisation units, hydrocrackers, flue gas desulphurisation units, a LPG plant, pipelines, storage tanks, buildings and instrumentation.

Like the Diwaniya Refinery, it is being developed using a BOT model.