Yemen is considering plans for a multi-billion dollar oil refining and petrochemical complex, its oil minister said.

The country was looking at schemes similar to a string of massive development plans being undertaken by its richer neighbours, said Oil Minister Khaled Mahfoud Bahah.
“We are putting a plan together for a refining and petrochemical complex, as part of an industrial city,” Bahah said. “We are looking for a huge investment, and I am confident that we can attract it.”
The oil refinery for the complex would have capacity of at least 200,000 bpd and cost at least $2.5 billion, he added. The government would take a lead role in the development as it was unhappy with the length of time private companies had taken to develop smaller domestic refining projects, he said.
Yemen was considering locations for the complex along both its Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coasts, he said.
Bahah was in Dubai to promote a bidding round for 11 offshore Yemen exploration blocks.
He met representatives from oil companies Royal Dutch Shell, the UAE Rak Petroleum and Canada's Nexen, but declined to say if any of them had expressed strong interest in the bidding round.
Yemen aims to reverse its declining oil output and boost production to 500,000 bpd, and is pinning its hopes on a big offshore oil find.