The Iraqi Council of Ministers, chaired by Mohammed Shia' Al-Sudani, has approved an amendment to Resolution No. 578 of 2025, authorising the Ministry of Oil to directly invite specialised companies to submit bids for the Basra–Haditha crude oil pipeline project.

The approval allows the ministry, through its affiliated entities, to initiate a targeted tender process for the strategic pipeline to transport crude oil from southern Iraq to the north, providing an alternative export route to the Strait of Hormuz.

Last month, the Ministry of Oil had said the pipeline is in the design phase, adding that plans for the project include potential extensions toward Jordan, and Syria.

The pipeline is estimated to cost around 5.97 trillion Iraqi dinars (approximately $4.56 billion), according to a December 2024 Reuters report. The same month local news agency Shafaq News had reported that the pipeline is expected to span approximately 685 km, with a diameter of 56 inches and a planned capacity of up to 2.25 million barrels per day (bpd).

Separately, Iraq is progressing with the rehabilitation of the Kirkuk–Fishkhabur pipeline, which is expected to reach an initial transport capacity of around 350,000 bpd.

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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