Kirkuk oil exports via Ceyhan port are an alternative to Russian crude to Europe.
Kirkuk oil exports via Ceyhan port are an alternative to Russian crude to Europe.
2025-10-11 03:37
Shafaq News – Baghdad
One promising alternative to Russian Urals crude to Europe is Iraqi Kirkuk crude, which recently began flowing via Turkey’s Ceyhan.
The energy website Oil Price reported in a report seen by Shafaq News Agency that the most promising alternative to Russian Urals crude is Iraqi Kirkuk crude, a heavy crude that is now returning to the European market after a two-year hiatus.
He added that Iraq recently resumed northern exports to Turkey, potentially providing regional refineries with an alternative to Russian barrels. The oil transits through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, carrying between 400,000 and 450,000 barrels per day before its closure in 2023.
The website also noted that current plans call for sending only 190,000 barrels per day to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) for export via Ceyhan, with an additional 50,000 barrels per day allocated for domestic use in the Kurdistan Region.
The report confirmed that Kirkuk’s return faces challenges, as SOMO intends to sell Kirkuk oil at official selling prices, meaning it will be priced at a premium to Brent crude ($1.25 per barrel in October).
Given the difficulties in selling the first Kirkuk cargoes from Ceyhan, this may be overly optimistic, as reported spot prices were more than $1 per barrel below Brent crude. Furthermore, even if flows increase, refiners indicate that Kirkuk’s volatile quality makes it a complement, not a replacement, to Urals crude, the report said.
shafaq.com
