Iraq’s crude oil exports rise by 15%

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) – Iraq’s crude oil shipments increased in October by 15 percent, or 380,000 barrels per day, to their highest level since the outbreak of the military conflict in the Middle East in late February. Iraq’s seaborne crude oil exports climbed to 2.96 million barrels per day in October 2026, up from 2.58 million barrels per day in September, according to Attaqa News. However, seaborne exports remain 14 percent lower when compared to the level seen in October 2025, which stood at 3.43 million barrels per day. Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Khudair said in mid-October that the country’s total crude oil exports had risen to over 3.4 million barrels per day. Iraq’s seaborne crude oil exports continued to rise for the fifth consecutive month in October. Despite the recovery observed in the past few months, Iraq’s average crude oil exports remain down by 49 percent, standing at 1.72 million barrels per day for the period from January through October 2026, compared to 3.35 million barrels per day during the same period in 2025. Iraq’s oil exports fell by more than 90 percent in April and May compared to pre-crisis levels, when quantities exceeded 3.3 million barrels per day prior to the regional crisis that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.