Iraq increases its oil exports to more than one million barrels per day through Turkish and Syrian ports

The Iraqi government decided on Tuesday to implement a plan in stages to increase the export capacity of crude oil through the Iraqi-Turkish pipeline system and trucks through Syrian territory to the level of one million and 190 thousand barrels per day.

An Iraqi government statement said at the conclusion of a regular meeting held under the chairmanship of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi that the Iraqi government voted “to approve the recommendations of the meeting held by the Prime Minister with the advanced staff of the Ministry of Oil on May 20, which included developing an appropriate detailed plan to reach the maximum export capacity for crude oil and increase the rates of export of crude oil via pipelines from 220 thousand barrels per day to 770 thousand barrels per day in two stages over a period of two and a half months,” according to the statement. Statement by the Iraqi government.

The government also decided to “raise the level of oil exports via trucks with neighboring countries to reach 420 thousand barrels per day in three stages.”

According to the statement, the recommendations of the Iraqi government session included granting the Minister of Oil, Bassem Muhammad Khudair, the necessary financial and contractual powers, and that the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO) take the necessary measures required to contract for new quantities, and restore the operation of the FCC units in the refineries through the Japanese operating company.

The Iraqi government also agreed to a contract between the Ministry of Oil and the Syrian side, in order to transport, store and handle quantities of crude oil from Basra light, medium and heavy crude through the ports of Baniyas and Tartous on the Mediterranean Sea, and to open a representative office for the Ministry of Oil to manage export operations through this route.