Iraq’s oil exports are anticipated to increase significantly in the coming few days due to the reopening of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, which runs through the northwestern Iraqi town of Fishkhabur.
The step aims to increase the flexibility of the country’s oil transportation network and diversify export routes after the halt of oil shipments from southern ports due to the conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran, as well as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
The spokesperson for the Oil Ministry, Saheb Bazoun, confirmed that the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline will be operational within a few days. He explained that the step will raise Iraq’s oil exports through Turkey to approximately 600,000 barrels per day.
Bazoun mentioned in a statement that the pipeline’s design capacity is about 1.6 million barrels per day, reflecting significant untapped potential, according to Iraq’s official newspaper al-Sabah.
According to Bazoun, the present level of oil shipments through the pipeline from Iraqi Kurdistan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan is 200,000 barrels per day. Given this figure, it is critical that the pipeline’s capacity be increased in order to boost oil export levels.
The Iraqi official also stated that the ministry is working to utilize all available channels for crude oil exports as part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at ensuring a consistent flow of exports while minimizing the effects of regional unrest.