Iraq has formed a special committee to oversee the Basra-Haditha multi-directional oil pipeline project, following a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al-Sudani.
The committee will be headed by the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Oil and will include relevant advisers to the Prime Minister as well as directors-general from the ministries of Oil and Industry and Minerals.
The meeting, attended by the ministers of Oil and Industry, reviewed progress on the project and addressed delays encountered in recent months. Two implementation contracts were discussed:
- A contract signed on 11 August 2024 between Basra Oil Company (BOC) and the State Company for Oil Projects (SCOP) within the Ministry of Oil
- A contract signed on 7 January 2025 between the State Company for Oil Projects (SCOP) and the State Company for Iron and Steel (SCIS) within the Ministry of Industry and Minerals
Funding of $1.5 billion has been approved for the current year under the Iraqi-Chinese agreement. The total estimated cost of the project is $5 billion.
The pipeline is intended to provide flexibility in transporting crude oil towards the Turkish port of Ceyhan and the ports of Baniyas and Aqaba, as well as increasing the capacity of central and northern refineries under varying conditions.
(Source: Prime Minister’s Office)
