Sudani orders commission to oversee Basra-Haditha pipeline

BAGHDAD — Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Sunday directed the formation of a special commission to oversee implementation of the Basra–Haditha oil pipeline, describing the project as “a proactive measure in anticipation of current regional conditions.”

The meeting, attended by the oil and industry ministers and specialized advisers, reviewed progress on two implementation contracts: one signed in August 2024 between Basra Oil Company and the Oil Projects Company, and another signed in January 2025 between the Oil Projects Company and the State Company for Iron and Steel.

Sudani said the pipeline would ensure flexibility in transporting crude oil toward Turkey’s Ceyhan port and the ports of Baniyas and Aqaba, while also supplying refineries in central and northern Iraq and increasing production capacity under different conditions.

The project has taken on added urgency following the regional conflict. Exports collapsed to 18.6 million barrels in March — generating just over $1.95 billion — compared with more than 99 million barrels in February, after the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz cut off Iraq’s main southern export route. The disruption forced production cuts and a scramble for alternatives, including increased flows through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline and the first shipments of Iraqi fuel oil through Syria’s Baniyas port to European markets.

Oil revenues account for around 90% of Iraq’s state income, making restoration of full export capacity one of the government’s most urgent post-conflict priorities.