Syrian Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir plans to visit Baghdad on Tuesday. He will discuss reviving the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, Iraqi and Syrian officials confirmed. This pipeline links Kirkuk in northern Iraq to Baniyas on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.
Iraq’s chargé d’affaires in Damascus, Yassin Sharif al-Hujami, said al-Bashir accepted an invitation from Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul Ghani. The goal is to build agreements for transporting Iraqi oil through Syrian land to the Mediterranean via Baniyas port. This initiative aims to restore a vital export route.
Moreover, al-Bashir will meet Syria’s Water Resources Minister Aoun Diab. They will address the sharp drop in Euphrates River water releases, which fell from 500 to 300 cubic meters per second. The two sides hope to create a joint plan to manage this shortage effectively.
Earlier, on August 9, al-Bashir told Syria’s Al-Ikhbariya TV about his upcoming trip to Iraq. He said the visit focuses on studying the rehabilitation of the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline. This project supports Syria’s efforts to restore its electricity network. The work benefits from a recent World Bank grant aimed at infrastructure repairs.
The Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline was originally built in 1952 by the Iraq Petroleum Company. It stretched roughly 800 kilometers from the Kirkuk oil field to the Syrian port of Baniyas. Back then, it provided Iraq with a crucial export route. The pipeline’s daily capacity reached about 300,000 barrels.
However, political conflicts halted operations in 1982. Though briefly reopened in 2000 to bypass UN sanctions, the pipeline suffered heavy damage during the 2003 Iraq war. Since then, it has remained out of service.
Reviving the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline could significantly boost regional energy cooperation. It may also strengthen economic ties between Iraq and Syria, which both countries seek to improve. Officials emphasize that restoring this oil corridor aligns with broader regional stability efforts.
