Iraq plans to triple pipeline oil exports to 770,000 barrels per day

Iraq’s cabinet approved a rapid expansion of its crude‑oil pipeline system, aiming to increase exports from about 220,000 barrels per day to roughly 770,000 bpd within the next 75 days. The plan includes a $5 billion project, of which $1.5 billion was approved in April, to build a pipeline from Basra to Haditha and extend it toward Turkey, Syria and Jordan. A contract with Syria covers transport, storage and handling of crude through the Mediterranean ports of Baniyas and Tartus, and an oil‑ministry office will oversee the new route.

Simultaneously, a delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government met Iraqi leaders in Baghdad to discuss raising Kurdistan’s oil shipments to 500,000 bpd, primarily via the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The talks with Prime Minister Ali Faleh al‑Zaidi, Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair Al‑Abadi and SOMO officials focus on stabilising production, securing transport routes and overcoming recent security‑related output declines.

The coordinated efforts aim to diversify Iraq’s export pathways, boost national revenue—projected at $16 billion for the first four months of 2026—and reduce reliance on the Strait of Hormuz.