Iraq Aims Raising Crude Exports to 1mbpd via Turkey

Iraq aims to raise crude exports through Turkey to one million barrels per day (bpd) as Kirkuk expands production capacity, Kirkuk’s Governor Mohammed Agha has said.

Agha said that the Turkish deputy energy minister is expected to visit Kirkuk soon for talks on oilfield development, energy infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, particularly crude exports.

He linked the export target to Iraq’s agreement with bp to redevelop four major Kirkuk fields, including the Baba and Avanah domes and the Bai Hassan, Jambur and Khabbaz fields.

The fields contain more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent in initial gross recoverable resources. ConocoPhillips agreed in July to acquire a 42 percent stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited (BP ECKL), while Turkey’s state-owned TPAO agreed to acquire 15 percent.

On 1 August, Iraq and Turkey signed a one-year agreement to continue transporting crude through the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline to Ceyhan, covering about 750,000 bpd of capacity while negotiations continue over a broader framework.

Actual northern exports remain well below that level. Reports said this month that flows through the route had fallen to around 130,000 bpd because of production suspensions in the Kurdistan Region and the halt of some Basrah crude shipments routed north.