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Bahrain oil refinery runs reach record in Q1

MANAMA: Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) boosted average crude throughputs at the country's oil refinery to a record 267,200 barrels per day (bpd) in the first three months of this year, an official said.

Throughputs in February reached as high as 268,800 bpd, Hussain Tadayon, BAPCO general manager for refining, said.

"This is an all time record," he told Reuters.

The Sitra refinery is a major source of refined oil products to Gulf, Far East and African markets.

"The fact that we were able to run at maximum for 91 days indicates a high reliability," he said, adding that the company had been removing bottle-necks at the refinery.

BAPCO is 40 percent held by the U.S. firm Caltex, owned by Chevron Corp CHV.N and Texaco Corp TX.N. The Bahraini government owns the remaining 60 percent.

The refinery has a nominal capacity of 250,000 bpd but a higher operational capacity.-Reuter