Baghdad: Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani announced that Iraq will begin exporting crude oil directly from the Kirkuk oil fields to Trkiye’s port of Ceyhan, bypassing the Kurdistan Region. This development comes in response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which had previously been a key route for Iraqi oil exports.
According to Jordan News Agency, Ghani stated that Iraq had been exporting approximately 3.4 million barrels per day through its southern ports and via the Strait of Hormuz before the exports were halted. Due to the closure, current production has decreased to between 1.5 and 1.6 million barrels per day.
The minister also outlined alternative strategies for exporting oil in light of the strait’s closure. These include utilizing Jordanian and Syrian pipelines via tankers, despite limited pipeline capacity on these routes. Ghani emphasized that work is ongoing to rehabilitate the pipeline connecting the Kirkuk oil fields to the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline. He confirmed that pipeline inspection and the completion of necessary work will be finished within a week, allowing Iraq to transport crude oil without transiting through the Kurdistan Region.