Iraq raises oil export capacity to over 3 million barrels per day

Oil tankers Tataki and Maran Aspasia fill at Al-Basrah Oil Terminal off Iraq’s Faw peninsula, Aug. 5, 2025. Photo: AFP Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudair announced that Iraq has increased its oil export capacity to more than three million barrels per day. Khudair stated, as reported by state media, that Iraq has successfully exported three million barrels of oil per day since the beginning of September. Following the completion of strategic pipelines and export terminals through the Strait of Hormuz, the government aims to increase production capacity to five million barrels per day, as stated by Khudair. Officials had previously stated that Iraq’s oil exports rose to approximately 2.34 million barrels per day in August. Oil industry sources and shipping data indicated that oil shipments during September are expected to increase. The spokesperson for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Salim al-Rikabi, said on Tuesday that the country’s crude oil exports through its southern marine outlets, which link to the Strait of Hormuz, fluctuated between two million and 2.2 million barrels per day in August. The ministry stressed that these outlets are the major conduit for Iraqi oil exports and a vital part of the national export system. As part of its attempts to increase the flexibility of the oil export system and minimize dependency on a single route, al-Rikabi stated that the ministry is supporting and developing various alternative export outlets through northern and western Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called on Tuesday for an increase in oil output to reach 10 million barrels per day by 2030. Iraq’s oil production reached approximately 4.5 million barrels per day by the end of 2025. The Iraqi Oil Ministry is anticipated to reach deals with oil corporations to conduct exploration, production, development, and export projects, therefore improving the country’s position in the global energy market and bolstering its resources and economic capacity.