Oil
Iraq boosts oil exports via Turkey to 500,000 BPD
Iraq has increased its crude oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan by trucking southern oil to northern pipelines amid ongoing supply disruptions.
Key points
- Exports via Ceyhan reached 500,000 bpd, up from approximately 350,000 bpd.
- Baghdad is trucking Basrah crude to northern collection stations to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iraqi oil exports neared pre-war levels of 3.4 million bpd in October.
What happened
According to OilPrice.com reporting, Iraq has elevated its crude oil exports via the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan to 500,000 barrels per day (bpd). A source at the North Oil Company stated that this marks the highest volume since pipeline operations resumed in September 2025, climbing from previous levels of about 350,000 bpd.
The increase is driven by ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, which have severely impacted Gulf shipping routes since the conflict involving Iran began. To maintain export volumes, the second-largest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has resorted to trucking Basrah crude from southern fields to northern pipeline systems.
About 200,000 bpd of Basrah crude are now transported by tanker to collection stations at Sarallu and Khurmala before being pumped north to Ceyhan. Although southern production plunged by 70 percent in the early weeks of the conflict, averaging 1.3 million bpd down from 4.3 million bpd, output has gradually recovered. Iraqi Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair noted that total exports approached pre-war levels at over 3.4 million bpd in October.
What comes next
In the longer term, Iraq intends to revive an oil pipeline project designed to transport crude directly to the Syrian Mediterranean coast. This infrastructure initiative aims to establish an additional permanent route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, though industry estimates suggest the project remains three to four years away from completion.
Why it matters
Global energy markets remain sensitive to supply chokepoint vulnerabilities, with Brent spot prices recorded at 123.1 US dollars per barrel on 27 October 2026, according to US Energy Information Administration figures provided by CEII data. For African producers and international investors, Iraq's successful pivot to overland and alternative export routes underscores the critical need for diversified infrastructure. As nations reliant on hydrocarbon revenues navigate geopolitical friction in key maritime corridors, the ability to rapidly adapt logistics pipelines dictates market stability and export resilience.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Crude benchmarks move budgets, currencies and inflation in producer and importer countries alike. For economies such as Nigeria, where fuels dominate exports, production and refining decisions move the whole economy.
99.0% of Iraq’s merchandise exports were fuels in 2024Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
