Protesting Basra heavy machine operators demand fuel restoration

Shafaq News- Basra

Heavy equipment owners in Iraq’s Basra province protested on Sunday after fuel allocations were suspended for about two weeks, warning that prolonged shortages could force them to halt operations and disrupt the country’s oil projects.

Abu Redha Al-Eidani, a representative of the protesters, told Shafaq News that earlier cuts had limited diesel allocations to 100 liters every four days, forcing owners to scale back operations, take some machines out of service, and rotate equipment to stretch available supplies.

"Owners had endured the shortages amid declining workloads, the effects of the US-Iran war, and other challenges," he added.

With official supplies suspended, some owners have turned to the black market, where diesel sells for as much as 1,250 Iraqi dinars ($0.82) per liter, Al-Eidani said. He questioned how the fuel reached the market, alleging that some fuel stations and influential parties were diverting allocated supplies for resale at higher prices.

Urging Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaid and Oil Minister Basim Al-Abadi to restore fuel allocations, he warned that protesters could block roads leading to oil fields if their demands were not met.

The Iraqi Oil Ministry has previously attributed fuel shortages to delayed gasoline shipments caused by regional tensions that disrupted tanker movements, widening the gap between domestic production and consumption. Official data puts daily demand at about 33 million liters, rising to as much as 38 million during peak periods.

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