Iraq’s Oil Minister: Iraq-Turkey Pipeline to Resume Operations Soon
Abdul Ghani emphasized that Baghdad is nearing the final steps to restart crude oil exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani announced on Thursday, that the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline will soon resume operations, with discussions underway to potentially increase oil exports through the route.
Pipeline to Resume Amid Economic Challenges
Speaking during a meeting of the Iraq-Turkey Committee, Abdul Ghani emphasized that Baghdad is nearing the final steps to restart crude oil exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. He also noted that the government is exploring ways to increase export volumes from Basra in parallel with the pipeline’s reopening.
Baghdad-Erbil Negotiations on Oil Exports
On the same day, the Iraqi federal Oil Ministry, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources, and Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR). were scheduled to hold a tripartite meeting in Baghdad on Thursday to discuss oil exports.
Under the existing agreement between the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Kurdistan is expected to produce 300,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd), of which 185,000 bpd would be exported via the Ceyhan port in Turkey, while the remaining 115,000 bpd would be used for domestic needs.
Since March 2023, the suspension of oil exports from Kurdistan (400,000 bpd) through Ceyhan has cost Iraq more than $25 billion in lost revenue, following a ruling by an international arbitration court in Paris in favor of the Iraqi federal government.
The prolonged halt in oil exports has deepened Iraq’s economic difficulties, with financial losses mounting daily. The Iraqi government has stressed the urgency of restoring exports to stabilize revenues and prevent further economic damage.
