Iraq to export fuel oil through Syria’s Baniyas port amid export squeeze

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil announced a broad plan to export fuel oil (“black oil”) via tanker trucks through Syria’s Baniyas port, with timetables set for implementation, ministry spokesperson Sahib Bazoun told INA. The plan includes processing some fuel oil by physical cracking to produce higher-value derivatives such as high-octane gasoline, and is intended to secure liquidity and open new export outlets. A delegation led by North Oil Company director Amer Khalil Ahmed met Syria’s diplomatic representatives in Damascus to discuss restarting the Iraqi‑Syrian pipeline and opening an Iraqi shipping office at Baniyas to bolster export operations and expand marketing channels.

Syrian authorities have increased unloading capacity at Baniyas refinery—raising operational capacity by about 30%—and rerouted shipments via the al‑Yarubiyah (Rabiya) crossing along the M4 road instead of al‑Tanf. Enab Baladi’s correspondent in Tartus reported the refinery now handles roughly 500 Iraqi tankers per day (about 120,000 barrels daily), up from 300, after activating new unloading yards and enabling direct pumping to storage (saving some 40 working hours). Baghdad is pressing to expand Mediterranean outlets through Baniyas as a response to a steep export slump caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and recent production losses, complementing emergency measures such as restarting the Kirkuk‑Ceyhan line and temporary land transport through Syria. as reported by Enab Baladi