First Major Overhaul
Syria's Banyas refinery has entered its first comprehensive overhaul at this scale, a step officials describe as a technical necessity after years of uninterrupted operation. The plan was set out on 11 September 2026.
Tariq al-Abdullah, deputy chief executive of Syrian Petroleum for refining and chemical industries, said the intervention had become unavoidable as core units reached an advanced operational age and began to deteriorate.
Raising Processing Capacity
The refinery currently processes about 80,000 barrels per day. The overhaul targets a capacity of roughly 130,000 barrels per day, an increase of some 50,000 barrels that would rank it among the country's larger refining assets.
The added throughput is intended to give the plant more room to cover local fuel needs. The work is described as the first comprehensive overhaul of its kind at the facility.
Scope of the Work
The program includes replacing a reactor, rehabilitating a distillation unit, modernizing the refinery's power station, and upgrading general infrastructure. Equipment in units that have reached an advanced operational age is also being replaced.
Officials expect the work to reduce equipment failures, improve operational efficiency, and raise the quality of refined products such as gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas.
A Wide Supply Gap
Domestic crude output stands at about 100,000 barrels per day against daily demand near 300,000 barrels — roughly triple current production — leaving a gap met largely through imports. A higher-capacity Banyas is expected to lift output of refined fuels for the domestic market.
Greater processing flexibility would help the refinery respond to shifts in local demand with less reliance on outside supply, according to officials overseeing the project.
Postponed From 2025
The overhaul was originally scheduled for 2025 but was postponed because spare parts and raw materials were unavailable. It moved ahead in 2026 after technical assessments confirmed that the facility's deterioration required immediate work.
Officials said continued operation of the ageing units without intervention carried a growing risk of breakdowns.