Iraq Mulls Crude Export Alternatives to Current Seaports

The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has revealed that Iraq is considering alternative oil export routes to its existing maritime outlets.

The spokesperson for the Oil Ministry, Salim al-Rikabi, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA) that the proposal to construct an Iraqi oil export pipeline to Syria’s Mediterranean port of Baniyas is still under consideration.

To complete the project, the Basra-Haditha oil pipeline needs to be carried out first to transport crude oil to Haditha in the western province of Anbar, and then preparation for the alternate pipeline takes place, according to al-Rikabi.

The project’s feasibility study is presently underway, and if completed, the pipeline will serve as an alternative for oil tankers now transporting oil to the Syrian port of Baniyas.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and his Syrian counterpart, Asaad al-Shaibani, discussed on Monday mechanisms for transporting energy supplies from Iraq to Syria.

According to Iraqi officials, the proposal is a genuine opportunity arising from the present maritime difficulties facing ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
An aerial view of oil facilities at the Baniyas port refinery on the Mediterranean Sea on April 15, 2026. Photo: AFP via Getty Images

The Iraqi cabinet decided in April to move forward with the implementation of the Basra-Haditha oil pipeline.

According to reports, the project is an Iraqi venture estimated at US$4.6 billion aiming to transport crude oil from the southern Iraqi province of Basra to Haditha.

The pipeline’s capacity is projected to be approximately 2.25 million barrels per day using 56-inch diameter pipes. This design aims to enhance domestic transportation and establish connections to future export facilities.

The pipeline will be 685 kilometers long and constitutes the first step in building a pipeline network that could be extended to Jordan and Syria.

Funded under the Iraq-China Framework Agreement, the project is being built by the state-owned Basra Oil Company (BOC) and State Company for Oil Projects (SCOP).

The pipeline provides a direct path to both the Mediterranean and the Red Sea and, subsequently, to European markets.

Once constructed, the project will enhance flexibility, as Iraq is studying alternative routes to its current seaports and the Turkish port of Ceyhan to increase export capacity.