Ivory Coast’s 80,000 barrel per day SIR refinery is operating “at a minimum” and is struggling to secure crude oil due to European sanctions aimed at forcing incumbent Laurent Gbagbo from power, a spokesman said Friday.
The refinery, which also serves a number of neighbouring countries, has been targeted by the EU to prevent Gbagbo from clinging onto power after an election that U.N.-certified election results showed his rival Alassane Ouattara won.
“A number of units have been temporarily closed but the main production unit is still working at a minimum,” Karamoko Tahirou said, without giving any figures for current output.
“There are disruptions in our supplies of crude … We are working to find a solution,” he added, directly blaming the EU sanctions for the disruptions.
Gun battles raged overnight in an Abidjan neighbourhood as insurgents moved against Gbagbo, and there have been reports of fighting in at least two other parts of the world’s top cocoa-grower.
