Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said on Sunday that addressing Iraq’s gasoline shortage requires importing additional quantities of fuel, as rising domestic demand and regional developments continue to affect supply operations.
Speaking before Parliament, Khudair said Iraq’s oil exports had increased from around 200,000 barrels per day when he took office, a level affected by the war in the Gulf region, to more than 4 million barrels per day at present. He added that part of the crude produced in Kirkuk is transported to Turkey’s Ceyhan port.
The minister said domestic production of petroleum products has reached approximately 37 million liters per day, an increase of 4 million liters. However, growing demand has widened the gap between production and consumption, while difficulties in importing gasoline amid the current circumstances have contributed to the shortage. The strategic gasoline reserve was previously estimated at 350 million liters.
Khudair said the market requires at least another 5 million liters of gasoline per day to cover the deficit. He added that the ministry is communicating with several countries to secure additional gasoline shipments during the current year, particularly amid the repercussions of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
He also emphasized the need to complete maintenance of the FCC unit in Basra and continue gasoline imports, while efforts are underway to attract investment companies to help overcome obstacles and address the ongoing fuel crisis.
