For the first time.Iraqi fuel  unloaded at Homs refinery as part of a new exchange mechanism

The Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) announced the implementation of the first operation of its kind to unload part of the Iraqi fuel tanks inside the Homs refinery, with the aim of feeding power plants and raising the readiness of the power system.

In a statement published on its official IDs, Friday, April 17, 2026,  the company explained that the operation was carried out within an exchange mechanism that relies on the allocation of equivalent quantities of the production of the Banias refinery for the benefit of the Iraqi side to be exported in accordance with the approved procedures, which allows greater flexibility in resource management and enhances the stability of supplies.

Observers believe that this mechanism gives the energy sector greater maneuverability in the distribution of derivatives between refineries, and allows for the acceleration of the arrival of quantities allocated to generating stations, at a time when the concerned authorities are working to stabilize supply programs and mitigate any potential fluctuations in the local market.

Iraqi fuel from the Banias estuary to the world

On  Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the first shipments of fuel coming from Iraq began to be loaded into the Banias oil estuary, where  the Director of Corporate Communication at Syrian Petroleum, Safwan Sheikh Ahmed, confirmed in a statement that this operation is the first of its kind since the issuance of the decree establishing the company, as the material is pumped from the Banias refinery towards the oil tanker "ASAHI PRINCESS", which carries a load of 85 thousand tons, and the loading operations are expected to last for three days.

This shipment comes as an actual translation of the cooperation agreements between Baghdad and Damascus, as the mayor of the Iraqi district of Rutba, Imad Mashaal, recently revealed that between 500 and 700 tankers of Iraqi "black oil" flow daily through the "Al-Waleed-al-Tanf" border crossing.

This intensive land bridge is aimed at delivering hundreds of thousands of tons per month to Syrian ports, in preparation for offering them in international markets through the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO).

In addition, the Syrian Ministry of Energy confirmed that the unloading of shipments in designated tanks and later pumping them to the marine tankers is carried out in accordance with the highest international safety standards.

This movement is expected to contribute to the revitalization of maritime navigation in Syrian ports and raise Syria's ranking as a reliable logistics partner in the energy supply chain, especially with the conclusion of Iraqi supply contracts of up to 650,000 metric tons per month through this route.

Syria and Iraq reopen Alwaleed port after 11 years

Syria and Iraq reopened the Al-Waleed border crossing on April 2, 2026, after more than 11 years of its closure, as part of the revitalization of trade exchange and energy flows between the two countries, as the port witnessed the entry of oil tankers loaded with fuel exported from Iraq to Syria, in the first official flow through the crossing since its closure, where shipments headed to the Baniyas refinery.  

 The move coincided with Iraq's resort to exporting fuel overland through Syria for the first time in decades, as Iraqi oil marketing company SOMO signed contracts to supply about 650,000 tonnes per month of fuel during the April-June period, according to a document seen by Reuters.

The al-Tanf crossing was officially closed in May 2015 when ISIS took control of the area, and although Iraqi forces regained control of it in 2017, its opening to commercial and transit traffic remained suspended for years due to security and political complexities in the border area.