Iraq reroutes oil exports through Syria amid Hormuz blockade

Iraq has begun exporting oil through Syria as it seeks alternative routes for shipments disrupted by the Iran war, Reuters reported on March 31st.

The shipments are being transported overland to Syrian export terminals, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively blocked by the conflict. The Oil Ministry said shipments would increase gradually but did not give export volumes.

Iraq is a member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and is its second-largest oil producer.

Prior to the conflict, it was producing about 4.35 million barrels per day and exporting around 3.4 million barrels per day.

Output and exports have fallen sharply since the conflict began, as attacks on infrastructure and shipping have disrupted operations.

The Majnoon oilfield near Basra was hit twice, forcing a shutdown, while operations at Iraq’s oil port were halted on March 12th after two tankers were struck in its territorial waters near Basra.

Production at the Rumaila field, the country’s largest, was also suspended, The National reported on April 2nd.

Oil storage facilities are nearing capacity as exports through the Strait of Hormuz remain blocked.

Iraq has been forced to turn to other routes to keep exports moving as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remain blocked, The National reported on April 2nd.

Last month, shipments resumed from the Kirkuk fields to Turkey’s Ceyhan port via pipeline after a deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government.

About 250,000 bpd are currently being pumped to Ceyhan, with plans to increase volumes, according to the state-run North Oil Company.

Northern fields in Kirkuk can produce between 200,000 and 250,000 bpd, with a potential increase of a further 200,000 bpd from the Kurdistan region.

The disruption to the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and gas supplies pass, has pushed countries in the region to seek alternative export routes.

Saudi Arabia has used its East-West pipeline to move crude to the Red Sea, while the United Arab Emirates has relied on a pipeline from Habshan to Fujairah.

Oil prices have risen amid persistent supply concerns, with Brent crude trading near $110 per barrel.

US President Donald Trump said on April 1st that Washington was seeking to wind down the conflict within two to three weeks, but also warned of further military action against Iran.

Reuters, The National, Maghrebi.org