Iraq fuel queues to clear within four days, distribution company says

BAGHDAD — Congestion at Iraq’s fuel stations will be resolved within four days, the head of the state-owned Oil Products Distribution Company said Wednesday, insisting supplies are adequate and there is no shortage.

Hussein Talib told Al-Iraqiya Al-Ikhbariya TV that daily gasoline consumption has averaged 32 million liters recently, while deliveries reached 35 million liters on Tuesday. “These figures are a message of reassurance to citizens not to be drawn in by rumors,” he said, adding that all Baghdad fuel stations remain open and operating normally.

Talib attributed delays to transportation and distribution logistics at supply centers in Baiji, Karbala, Dora and southern Iraq, saying some stations temporarily halt operations while others continue serving customers, creating congestion at certain locations. Waiting times currently range from 15 to 30 minutes in some cases, which he described as temporary.

He said the gap between domestic production and consumption from March through early June has been covered by strategic reserves, and that the government has ordered additional imports to maintain energy security and replenish stocks. He urged citizens to purchase fuel according to actual needs.

The Oil Ministry denied in May that Iraq faces a gasoline shortage, citing strategic reserves of around 100 million liters.

The reassurances come as Iraq’s oil sector remains under severe strain. The country exported fewer than 10 million barrels in April, generating just over $1 billion, against roughly 100 million barrels and $7 billion in monthly revenues before US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Production fell from around 4.3 million barrels per day to between 800,000 and 1.3 million bpd as the strait’s closure cut off Iraq’s main southern export route.