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Sudan's main refinery shuts for maintenance
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Mar 21, 2011 - 6:49:20 AM

Sudan's main refinery shuts for maintenance

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudan's main oil refinery has been closed for maintenance until April 5, forcing the African nation to import all its petroleum product needs, state media quoted the petroleum ministry as saying on Monday.

State news agency SUNA quoted Azhari Basbar, a senior official at the petroleum ministry, as saying the planned maintenance would end on April 5 when the refinery would reopen.

Plans to expand the refinery, which has a capacity of about 100,000 barrels per day have stalled as major foreign firms are reluctant to invest in war-torn Sudan as the south -- where around 75 percent of the crude lies -- has voted to secede.

The ministry said enough petroleum products were being imported to cover local demand of 1,000 tonnes a day, which includes diesel, jet fuel and cooking gas. Sudan already imports some as the refinery cannot meet local demand.