Iraq is implementing a strategic plan to increase oil exports through northern and Syrian routes. Currently, 225,000 barrels per day are being exported through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline infrastructure.

Current Export Volumes and Plans for Expansion

Total Iraqi oil exports through alternative routes have surpassed 650,000 bpd. However, of that volume, only about 20,000 bpd originates from oil fields located within the Kurdistan Region.

According to data from the Oil, Gas, and Natural Resources Committee of the Iraqi Parliament, Basrah crude oil is transported by tanker trucks to Kirkuk, where it is injected into the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pipeline network for export.

Another portion of Iraqi crude is routed through the Rabia border crossing into Syria before reaching international markets.

An official source at the state-run North Oil Company (NOC) revealed the current export breakdown through Turkey’s Port of Ceyhan:

• Kirkuk fields crude: 210,000 bpd
• Kurdistan Region fields crude: 15,000-20,000 bpd
• Total current volume: 225,000 bpd

The Ministry of Oil plans to increase the volume exported through this pipeline route to 375,000 bpd by the end of this month. Production from fields in the Kurdistan Region is also expected to rise in the near future.

Alternative Export Routes and Revenue Challenges

Bassem Abdul Karim, Director General of the state-owned Basrah Oil Company (BOC), emphasized the government's strategy to expand export capacity through northern corridors and pipeline networks linked to Turkey and Syria.

The federal government’s long-term objective is to achieve an export capacity of 1 million bpd through these alternative channels. Iraq has already secured approximately 60% of that target through the current export volume of 650,000 bpd.

Following disruptions and restrictions affecting the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq began relying on alternative overland and pipeline routes to transport its crude oil. This shift comes as oil sales account for 88% of state revenues.

Due to declining domestic sales and the logistical challenges associated with redirecting export routes, the government has recently turned to both internal and external borrowing to meet public sector salary obligations.