Hadramout (South24)

The state-owned Masila Petroleum Exploration & Production Company (PetroMasila) announced yesterday (November 23) the start of trial operations of the heavy fuel oil (mazut) refining facility in Sector 14 in Hadramout Governorate in South Yemen, according to the official Saba news agency.

The company said that the new facility has succeeded in producing experimental quantities of mazut that meet the standards. The move is aimed at enhancing the company's capabilities in light of the current economic challenges following the cessation of oil exports for more than two years as a result of the Houthi attacks that targeted oil export ports in Hadramout and Shabwa.

According to the company's executive general manager, Mohammed Bin Sumait, the experimental quantities will be allocated to support power plants in Hadramout, under the supervision of local authorities. He added that the project is the result of complex engineering and construction efforts that lasted for more than a year inside the central processing facility.

The official indicated that the project aims to reduce the Yemeni government's dependence on hard currency, support the stability of the electricity sector, and provide an alternative source of income for the company and its employees during this critical period.

These developments come amid the economic crisis in Yemen due to the ongoing conflict and the halt in oil exports, one of the main sources of government revenue.