Iraq’s Oil Exports Exceed 3 Million Barrels per Day, Minister Says

Reuters

The Zubair Oil Field in Basra, Iraq, 6 April 2026.

Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair al-Abadi said the government is focused on increasing the country’s crude oil exports to global markets to boost state revenues.

In a televised statement seen by PUKMEDIA, the minister said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had significantly affected oil exports, but the government had managed to increase exports several times over since it took office.

“Crude oil exports did not exceed 200,000 barrels per day when the government was formed, whereas today they exceed 3 million barrels per day,” he said.

He added that increased refinery production had enabled Iraq to reach a distribution capacity of 31 million litres of petroleum products per day, particularly petrol.

“We have achieved an export volume through the Strait of Hormuz of approximately 70 million barrels per month, and 70 per cent of the oil exports passing through the strait are Iraqi,” he said.

The minister attributed the increase to significant government efforts and continued follow-up.

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, relies on crude exports for around 90% of federal revenues, leaving its finances highly vulnerable to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.



PUKMEDIA