Iraq's first batch of oil exported via Syria begins loading

Golden Ten Data, April 16 — The Syrian Petroleum Company announced on the 15th that the first batch of Iraqi "re-exported" oil began loading at the Baniyas refinery in Syria on the same day. Due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq's oil exports have been hindered, making transit through Syria to the sea one of the alternative solutions. Ahmad Kubaji, Deputy Director of the Syrian Petroleum Company, stated at a press conference on the 15th that, according to the agreement reached between Syria and Iraq, Iraqi oil is first transported by truck to the Baniyas refinery, then transferred to the port oil terminal, and subsequently exported by sea. The first tanker will load approximately 500,000 tons of oil, and the loading operation will take at least three days. Kubaji added that, according to the agreement between the two parties, Syria can extract the amount of oil needed for its power plants from the oil transported from Iraq, with the remaining portion designated for export.