Syria announces 1st export of Iraqi fuel to global markets

The Syrian Petroleum Company announced Wednesday the launch of the first export operation of Iraqi fuel oil to global markets.

Fuel oil is a mixture of heavy residues left after crude oil refining and is used as a fuel source for heat generation, electricity, and mechanical energy.

In a statement, the company said it began loading Iraqi fuel onto the tanker “Asahi Princess” at the Baniyas refinery in Tartous province in western Syria, in an operation expected to last around three days.

The company said the tanker’s capacity is estimated at approximately 85,000 tons, without disclosing its nationality or destination.

It added that the loading process is being carried out through a pipeline extending from the Baniyas refinery to the oil terminal, noting that the operation may take three days or more depending on weather conditions.

The operation marks the first export of Iraqi fuel via the Syrian oil port since December 2024.

The step comes after the reopening of the Al-Tanf–Al-Waleed border crossing between Syria and Iraq, which had been closed for 11 years following the takeover of the border area by the ISIS (Daesh) terror group in 2015.

On April 1, the first Iraqi fuel convoys entered Syrian territory through the crossing en route to the Baniyas refinery.

Safwan Sheikh Ahmad, director of corporate communications at the Syrian Petroleum Company, earlier told Anadolu that Iraqi fuel flows are expected to reach around 500,000 metric tons per month.

The development comes amid disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli war on Iran, prompting countries to consider alternative maritime and land routes to maintain supply chains and energy flows.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul