Iraq Ships 2.5 Million Barrels of KRG Oil Following Export Restart

By  Oilprice.com Editorial Dept - Oct 14, 2025

Iraq has exported around 2.5 million barrels of crude oil from the Kurdistan Region since flows resumed on September 27, following a two-and-a-half-year suspension, according to Hamdi Shingali, deputy director of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). Shipments, averaging 190,000 barrels per day, are being transported through the Fishkhabur–Ceyhan pipeline to Türkiye, marking a major milestone in Iraq’s efforts to restore its northern exports.

Shingali told Shafaq News that operations have “returned to normal” and that Baghdad, Erbil, and international oil companies are likely to renew their tripartite export agreement before year-end. The deal, signed earlier this year, allows SOMO to oversee and market Kurdish crude through Türkiye’s Ceyhan port — a move that ended a long-standing standoff between the federal and regional governments.

Exports were halted in March 2023 after the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ruled that Ankara had breached a 1973 treaty by loading Kurdish crude without Baghdad’s consent. The decision forced Turkey to halt shipments, disrupting a pipeline that once accounted for 0.5% of global oil supply and costing both Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) billions in lost revenue.

Under the renewed arrangement, 50,000 barrels per day will be allocated to Kurdish refineries, while the remaining 250,000–260,000 barrels per day will go to SOMO for export. Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani said the agreement is a “step toward a unified national energy policy” and could serve as a foundation for longer-term cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil.

The resumption of Kurdish crude exports not only restores a vital revenue stream for both governments but also signals a rare moment of alignment in Iraq’s often fraught oil politics — one that could strengthen its position as a reliable regional supplier.