Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudair met on Tuesday with officials from Qatar’s UCC Holding in Baghdad to discuss critical oil pipeline projects that aim to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.
The discussions addressed establishing technical frameworks, project schedules, and contractual structures for the Basra-Haditha-Fishkhabur pipeline to Turkey and the Haditha-Baniyas pipeline to Syria, according to a statement released by the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
Iraq is prioritizing this oil pipeline network to build alternate export routes to the Mediterranean to minimize its longstanding vulnerability and reliance on maritime shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Khudair underlined the importance of accelerating formal contractual procedures. He requested weekly meetings between Iraqi authorities and the consortium to finalize the pipeline paths and economic models.
Qatar-based UCC Holding is leading the consortium that includes Chevron, TI Capital, and TotalEnergies to carry out the project.
The project is a network of pipelines that will be extended to the Turkish port of Ceyhan and the Syrian port of Baniyas, providing two additional outlets to enhance export flexibility.
The pipeline network will provide the country with additional export outlets on the Mediterranean, significantly reducing the risks of maritime shipping via the Strait of Hormuz.
Khudair said earlier that a country like Iraq, with its vast oil and gas reserves, cannot continue to rely on a single outlet, the Strait of Hormuz.
The Basra-Haditha pipeline project is an Iraqi venture estimated at $4.6 billion aiming to transport crude oil from the southern Iraqi province of Basra to Haditha in the western Iraqi province of Anbar.
The pipeline’s capacity is projected to be approximately 2.25 million barrels per day using 56-inch diameter pipes. This design aims to enhance domestic transportation and establish connections to future export facilities.
Reaching Haditha opens up three distinct offshore export routes: the Turkish port of Ceyhan, the Syrian port of Baniyas, and Jordan’s port of Aqaba.
Iraq’s planned oil pipeline network represents a proactive strategy to reduce dependency on Gulf marine routes, which face disruptions.
The Basra-Fishkhabur pipeline project is one of Iraq’s largest strategic energy initiatives, connecting southern oil reserves to the Turkish border.