Shafaq News- Baghdad

Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) is seeking to buy 127,500 tons (949,875 barrels) of gas oil for August and September delivery, its first such purchase since January 2025, according to a tender document reviewed by Reuters.

The state marketer requested gas oil containing 2,500 parts per million of sulfur, with the first 40,000-ton cargo to be loaded by August 1, returning Iraq to the gas oil purchase market after imports were halted in November 2025 upon declaring self-sufficiency in gas oil, gasoline, and kerosene.

SOMO figures showed Iraq imported no gas oil or kerosene during the first quarter of 2026, while gasoline imports fell 66.1% year on year.

Iraq had expanded domestic fuel production through the 140,000-barrel-per-day Karbala refinery and new refining units, allowing the government to reduce imports and direct surplus petroleum products toward exports.

The tender document did not state why SOMO had returned to the purchase market, but it was issued as renewed US-Iran tensions disrupted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, the route connecting Iraq’s southern Gulf terminals to international markets.

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