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OPEC member Iraq has launched a 70-kilometre marine pipeline project in the southern oil hub of Basra as part of plans to expand its crude export capacity, according to the Iraqi News Agency quoting a senior official.
Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani said, “This is one of the most strategic initiatives [third of its kind] implemented by the ministry through the Basra Oil Company, marking a qualitative leap in the system of oil exports from the country’s southern ports.”
“The pipeline’s operational capacity is 2 million barrels per day (bpd) but its designed capacity is 2.4 million bpd and provides multiple export routes through the Basra oil terminal, Khor Al-Amaya port, and the floating platform.”
The 48-inch marine pipeline runs 61 kilometres offshore and nine kilometres onshore along with two offshore platforms, Ghani said.
It also includes the construction of a floating export buoy, a 60-km dual marine cable for electricity and communications, and integrated systems for control and cathodic protection.
The project cost wasn't disclosed.
In April 2025, Basra Oil Company signed the main contract for the project with the Turkish-Italian consortium of ESTA Construction and MICOPERI, with an execution period of 757 days. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
(Writing by N Saaed & Majda Muhsen; Editing by Sona Nambiar)
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