Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Iraq aims to raise crude exports through Turkiye to one million barrels per day (bpd) as Kirkuk expands production capacity, Governor Mohammed Samaan Agha told Shafaq News on Saturday.

Agha said a Turkish deputy energy minister is expected to visit Kirkuk soon for talks on oilfield development, energy infrastructure and bilateral cooperation, particularly crude exports.

He linked the export target to Iraq’s agreement with BP to redevelop major Kirkuk fields, including the Baba and Avanah domes and the Bai Hassan, Jambur and Khabbaz fields.

The fields contain more than 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent in initial gross recoverable resources. ConocoPhillips agreed in July to acquire a 42% stake in BP Energy Company of Kirkuk Limited, while Turkiye’s state-owned TPAO agreed to acquire 15%.

On August 1, Iraq and Turkiye signed a one-year agreement to continue transporting crude through the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline to Ceyhan, covering about 750,000 bpd of capacity while negotiations continue over a broader framework.

Actual northern exports remain well below that level. Shafaq News reported on August 13 that flows through the route had fallen to around 130,000 bpd because of production suspensions in the Kurdistan Region and the halt of some Basrah crude shipments routed north.

Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi previously said Iraq aims to raise national oil output to between 8 million and 10 million bpd within six years while expanding export routes through Turkiye, Syria, and Jordan.