Iraq raises oil exports through Syria and Turkey to 1 million barrels per day

 Iraq has unveiled a plan to increase Iraq's oil export capacity to more than one million barrels per day through the Northern Gate and export routes linked to Turkey and Syria, as part of efforts to diversify export ports and ensure the continued flow of supplies to global markets.

The director  of the Iraqi Basra Oil Company, Bassem Abdulkarim al-Shamkhani, said that export capacity through alternative ports will soon reach about 650,000 barrels per day, representing about 60% of the government's goal of exceeding one million barrels per day through the northern routes, including export routes transiting to Turkey and Syria.

He added that the North Oil Company recorded an increase in its exports to global markets through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, in conjunction with the supply of about 300,000 barrels per day through the strategic line to compensate the northern refineries for the quantities allocated for export.

He explained that the company continues to transport about 150,000 barrels per day by land to the northern region by tankers, with preparations to raise these quantities to 350,000 barrels per day in the coming period, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of alternative ports and diversifying the pathways for oil to reach international consumers.

Baghdad relies on Syrian ports to export oil

On Tuesday, June 3rd, the Iraqi Cabinet approved the contract of the Ministry of Oil with the Syrian side to transport, store and handle quantities of Iraqi crude oil through the ports of Banias and Tartous on the Mediterranean Sea.

The Iraqi News Agency (WAA) reported that the decision includes the export of light, medium and heavy crude in Basra through Syrian ports, in a move aimed at diversifying Iraqi oil export routes and enhancing its access to foreign markets.

The Council approved the opening of a representative office of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil in Syria, which will manage and follow up export operations through this route, in order to ensure the organization of logistical and commercial operations related to the transportation, storage and handling of oil.

In the same context, the Cabinet approved raising the level of crude oil exports via trucks to neighboring countries to reach 420,000 barrels per day, in three phases, as part of the government's efforts to boost oil revenues and expand export ports.

The Cabinet granted the Minister of Oil the necessary financial and contractual powers to implement the plan, and tasked the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) with taking the necessary measures to contract the new quantities allocated for export.

Banias Refinery Increases Operational Capacity  to 500 Tanks

Last April, the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) began implementing contracts to export about 650,000 tons of fuel oil per month to Syria through onshore tankers, before the Iraqi Border Ports Authority announced in early May the start of exporting crude oil through the Rabia-Yarubiya border crossing by sending the first 70 tankers towards Syrian territory.

Iraqi oil convoys entered Syria through the Al-Tanf-Al-Waleed crossing towards the Baniyas refinery, as part of joint efforts to activate energy routes and trade exchange between the two countries, and to repurpose Syrian infrastructure as a corridor for transporting oil to foreign markets.

In early May, the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) announced that it had increased the number of Iraqi tankers that are unloaded daily at the Banias refinery to about 500, with the aim of enhancing work readiness and accelerating the pace of oil supplies.

According to a statement from the company, this development came after the implementation of technical and engineering works inside the refinery, which contributed to increasing operational capacity by nearly 30% in addition to providing about 40 working hours per day, reflecting a significant improvement in the efficiency of operations.