Peregraf — Iraq’s Oil Ministry said on Sunday it is moving forward with plans to construct the Basra-Haditha-Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, as a newly signed one-year agreement with Turkey lays the groundwork for increasing crude oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
Oil Ministry spokesperson Saleem al-Rikabi said the agreement signed with Turkey provides an initial export capacity of 750,000 barrels per day (bpd) through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, with the possibility of increasing volumes as conditions improve.
He said higher export capacity will depend on improved security in the Kurdistan Region, the return of oil production to full capacity, and the completion of logistical work needed to transport additional crude from southern Iraq to the north.
Al-Rikabi said the ministry is simultaneously advancing procedures to launch the Basra-Haditha-Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline project, part of a broader strategy to diversify Iraq’s export routes.
The proposed project also includes a branch from Haditha to Syria’s Baniyas port and another potential branch to Jordan’s Aqaba port.
He added that fluctuations in global oil markets continue to affect Iraq’s revenues, but said the most significant impact has come from lower export volumes caused by the ongoing regional war.
Al-Rikabi also highlighted growing energy cooperation among Iraq, the United States, and Syria, citing the recent agreement signed in Washington on the proposed Haditha-Baniyas pipeline.
The comments came a day after Turkey and Iraq signed a one-year interim agreement governing the Iraq-Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline. Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said the deal ensures continued exports through Ceyhan while the two countries negotiate a comprehensive long-term energy agreement.