At a Glance

• KAR Group chief Sheikh Baz Barznji says crude oil exports through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline to Ceyhan, Türkiye, have reached 500,000 barrels per day, doubling from 250,000.

• The reported daily volume includes 60,000 barrels from Kirkuk, 240,000 barrels transported from Basra and Nasiriyah, and 200,000 barrels produced in the Kurdistan Region.

• Barznji says the pipeline could carry up to one million barrels per day, potentially handling around 33% of Iraq’s total oil exports.

• The development increases the importance of the Ceyhan route as Iraq seeks to expand export options amid disruptions to maritime shipping.

Iraq’s crude oil exports through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline to Türkiye’s Ceyhan port have reached 500,000 barrels per day, according to Sheikh Baz Barznji, head of KAR Group, who says the volume has doubled from 250,000 barrels.

Key Statements and Focus Areas

Exports Double to 500,000 Barrels

In a post on X, Barznji said the volume of oil marketed by Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline had increased from 250,000 to 500,000 barrels per day.

He added that if the pipeline reaches its maximum export capacity of one million barrels per day, it could carry approximately 33% of Iraq’s total oil exports.

Breakdown of Daily Oil Flows

According to information obtained by Channel 8, the reported 500,000-barrel daily flow consists of:

• 60,000 barrels: Crude originating from oil fields in Kirkuk.

• 240,000 barrels: Crude from Basra and Nasiriyah transported by tanker through operations involving KAR Group and Qaiwan.

• 200,000 barrels: Crude produced in the Kurdistan Region and transported through the pipeline to Ceyhan.

The figures total 500,000 barrels per day. The breakdown distinguishes crude transported from federal Iraqi oil fields from production originating in the Kurdistan Region.

Kurdistan Region Production

According to data from the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources cited in the supplied report, crude oil production in the Region has reached 255,000 barrels per day. Of that amount, approximately 200,000 barrels are reportedly being exported through the pipeline to Ceyhan.

Iraq’s crude oil exports through the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline to Türkiye’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan have reached 500,000 barrels per day, according to Sheikh Baz Barzanji, head of KAR Group.

In a post on X, Barznji said the volume of oil marketed by SOMO through the route had doubled from 250,000 barrels per day to 500,000 barrels.

He said that if the pipeline reaches its maximum capacity of one million barrels per day, it could transport around 33% of Iraq’s total oil exports to international markets.

Information obtained by Channel 8 indicates that the current daily flow includes approximately 60,000 barrels from Kirkuk oil fields, alongside 240,000 barrels of crude from Basra and Nasiriyah transported by tanker through operations involving KAR Group and Qaiwan. The remaining 200,000 barrels come from oil fields in the Kurdistan Region and are transported through the pipeline to Ceyhan.

According to the supplied figures, much of the crude transported by tanker is taken to Khurmala before entering the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline network for onward export.

The reported increase comes as Iraq seeks to expand the use of the Ceyhan route. Baghdad and Ankara signed a one-year agreement in August providing for the transportation of up to 750,000 barrels of Iraqi crude per day through the Iraq–Turkey pipeline, while negotiations on a longer-term arrangement continue. The agreed volume represents the framework for expanded exports rather than confirmation that the route is already operating at that level.

For the Kurdistan Region, the increased flow places its pipeline infrastructure at the center of Iraq’s efforts to maintain and expand crude exports. The route also enables crude from different parts of Iraq to reach international markets through Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast.

FYI

The reported increase highlights the strategic importance of the Kurdistan Region’s pipeline infrastructure to Iraq’s oil-export network. Expanding shipments through Ceyhan provides Baghdad with an additional route to international markets, particularly when maritime exports face disruption.

However, the reported 500,000-barrel daily flow and the pipeline’s stated one-million-barrel capacity are different measures. Reaching the higher figure would depend on sustained crude supply, transportation logistics and coordination among federal authorities, the Kurdistan Regional Government and the companies involved. The reported 33% share is a projection based on the pipeline reaching that capacity, not its current contribution to Iraq’s exports.