Syria on Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline revival: Not a Priority

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the Syrian Transitional Government revealed that it has not held talks with Iraq about oil imports or the revival of a long-dormant pipeline.

“There are no negotiations with Iraq or Saudi Arabia to import oil,” Ahmed Suleiman, Director of Public Relations at Syria’s Ministry of Oil and Mineral Resources, told the Washington-based Energy Platform, adding that Syria procures crude oil through tender announcements to secure the most reliable supplies.

Suleiman also affirmed that the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, which connects Iraq’s Kirkuk oil fields to Syria’s Baniyas port, remains inactive and is not currently a priority for either government.

Inaugurated in 1952, the 800-kilometer pipeline, which has a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day, requires extensive rehabilitation, particularly on the Syrian side, where the country’s energy infrastructure has suffered significant damage since the war erupted in 2011. It operated sporadically before being shut down in 2010 after sustaining severe damage from attacks by the Global Coalition in Iraq and Syria.