Next Saturday, Al-Sudani and Al-Sawad will head to Basra to inaugurate the "Dream" project.

A source in Basra Governorate reported, on Thursday (October 23, 2025), that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and his deputy for energy affairs, Minister of Oil Hayan Abdul-Ghani al-Sawad, will head to the governorate next Saturday to inaugurate the "dream" oil project, which is the catalytic cracking unit (FCC) at the Southern Refineries Company, through which Iraq will declare self-sufficiency in importing foreign gasoline.
The source told Baghdad Today, "The FCC project, which relies on oil waste as a raw material, will produce high-octane refined gasoline, in addition to kerosene and other petroleum derivatives." He explained that "the project, which was financed through a Japanese loan, is one of the largest oil projects since the change of the previous regime."
The source indicated that "after this project is operational, Iraq will not import any petroleum derivatives from abroad, but will begin exporting some of the derivatives in excess of domestic needs."
Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs and Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul-Ghani al-Sawad, previously revealed to Baghdad Today that "Iraq had been importing petroleum products worth five billion dollars annually since the formation of the current government. However, this figure has decreased to less than one billion dollars thanks to projects launched by the ministry."
Al-Sawad added, "The opening of the FCC project next Saturday will make Iraq completely independent of purchasing any petroleum products from abroad."