Basra Oil Company Director General Bassim Abdul Karim al-Shamkhani revealed a government move to strengthen Iraqi oil exports through the northern route, including export lines linked to Syria.
In a statement to the Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah, al-Shamkhani said export capacity through the northern gateway and the export lines linked to Turkey and Syria will soon reach about 650,000 barrels per day.
That represents nearly 60% of the Iraqi government’s target of exceeding 1 million barrels per day through these outlets, according to al-Shamkhani.
Al-Shamkhani explained that these steps come as part of efforts to diversify crude oil export outlets and reduce dependence on maritime routes. He said the move would help ensure the continued flow of crude supplies to global markets and avoid any potential bottlenecks or disruptions in maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to al-Shamkhani, technical authorities are continuing to implement projects to develop export infrastructure, alongside new projects in northern regions, with the aim of strengthening the readiness of transport lines and ensuring the sustainability of oil exports.
Iraq continues to transport oil overland to the northern region at a rate of 150,000 barrels per day, with plans to raise these volumes to about 350,000 barrels per day in the coming period, according to al-Shamkhani’s statement.
This would strengthen the role of the northern route in supporting Iraq’s exports and diversifying the ways oil reaches international markets.
The Iraqi Council of Ministers approved, on June 2, a contract between the Ministry of Oil and the Syrian side to transport, store, and handle quantities of crude oil, Basra Light, Medium, and Heavy crude, through the ports of Baniyas and Tartous on the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the Iraqi News Agency (INA), the Iraqi Ministry of Oil also intends to open a representative office in Syria to manage export operations through this new route.
During the session, approval was granted to develop a suitable detailed plan to reach maximum crude oil export capacity.
Crude oil exports through pipelines are to increase from 220,000 barrels per day to 770,000 barrels per day in two phases over two and a half months, according to INA.
In addition, oil exports by truck via neighboring countries are to be raised to 420,000 barrels per day in three phases.