Iraq to export one million bpd of oil via Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Ambassador to the United States, Nizar al-Khairallah, and Syrian chargé d’affaires in Washington, Mohammad Qanatari, confirmed on Thursday that the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline is being revived to export one million barrels of Iraqi oil per day.

The remarks of the Iraqi and Syrian officials took place during their participation in the New Lines Institute’s Four Seas Initiative held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The Four Seas Initiative is a geopolitical and economic strategy that aims to turn post-Assad Syria and Turkey into significant global hubs for energy distribution, trade, and transportation. It connects four key bodies of water: the Arabian Gulf, the Caspian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Black Sea.

Al-Khairallah indicated that the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline’s capacity might be extended to one million barrels per day, highlighting the ambition to broaden the collaboration to include gas and electricity.

The Iraqi diplomat viewed the proposal as a genuine opportunity arising from the present maritime difficulties facing ships in the Strait of Hormuz. He stated that steps have already been taken to revive the ancient 800-kilometer Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, which was built in 1952 and had previously been destroyed because of instability.

The Iraqi ambassador clarified that a specialized team traveled to Damascus in 2025 to discuss the technical and financial details of the pipeline’s rehabilitation. He added that the expected cost of the project has reached $8 billion.

The restoration of the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline is anticipated to boost energy ties between the two countries and attract foreign investment.

Damascus and Baghdad are making progress to rehabilitate the line, which would provide Iraq with direct access to European markets through the Mediterranean.