Iraq has signed a contract for the construction of its third offshore pipeline as part of a push to boost the stability and flexibility of crude oil exports from its southern ports.

The pipeline project will be executed by a consortium of Italy’s Micoperi and Turkiye’s Esta, and it will have the capacity to transport 2.4 million barrels a day (b/d) of oil.

Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani said that this project is a strategic initiative and aligns with the government's plan to ensure the stability and flexibility of crude oil export operations from southern Iraq's ports. The operational capacity of the pipeline will be approximately 2 million b/d.

The project has been approved by Iraq’s cabinet and its scope includes a marine pipeline with a diameter of 48 inches.

The offshore portion of the pipeline will be 61 kilometres (km) long and the onshore portion will be 9km long.

The scope of the project includes the development of two marine platforms. One of these will be located in the Basrah oil port and the second will be located in the Amiya oil port.

The project also includes an open-water floating platform, electrical systems, communication systems, as well as cathodic control and protection systems.

While this project is likely to enhance Iraq’s ability to export from the southern ports, it is struggling to improve export routes in the north of the country.

Efforts to restart oil flows via the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline (ITP) have stalled in recent years.

Oil flows through the ITP, from Kirkuk in Iraq to Ceyhan in Turkiye, stopped in March 2023 and have yet to resume, despite several announcements by Iraqi officials stating that progress towards restarting the pipeline has been made.

The oil exports stopped after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favour of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had breached a 1973 agreement by allowing Erbil to begin independent oil exports in 2014.

Prior to the halt of exports through the ITP in March 2023, approximately 450,000 b/d of oil were sent from Iraq via Turkiye to international markets.