Drastic benzene shortage in Iraq after one pipeline bombardment

One Iraqi oil official said that the Benzene shortage crisis has increased in Baghdad after attackers assaulted an oil pipeline to the south of the city on Saturday and this increased the shortage in fuel especially with the continued acts of unrest in the southern cities because of the fighting between al-Sader followers and the American forces.

The official who asked to be anonymous said that work is underway to maintain the line after number of queued cars increased in the benzene stations in the capital.

With the expansion of the American campaign against al-Sader supporters in Baghdad, five Benzene stations were robbed.

The Iraqi Interim government blocked the main pipeline which carries the oil for exportation in Basra to the south after information arrived to the intelligence that Shiite gunmen might attack the basic infrastructure for oil industry.

Iraq, which owns the second oil reserves in the world, imports oil at a cost of 50 million dollars worth of Benzene and other refined products, monthly.

The Iraqi refineries which operates at its available capacity only meet 50% to 60% of the people demand of Benzene. This, in most times led to the emergence of a parallel markets in the streets.