US report: Iraq may need 4 months to restore most of its oil production after the war
US report: Iraq may need 4 months to restore most of its oil production after the war
2026-05-27
Shafaq News – Follow-up
S&P Global estimated that Iraq and other oil-producing countries in the Middle East may need about four months to restore nearly 80% of the oil production levels recorded in February 2026, following the disruptions caused by the war in the region and the disruption of exports through the Strait of Hormuz.
The corporation stated in a report, which was followed by Shafaq News Agency, that Iraq was among the countries that reduced its production during the early stages of the conflict as a result of storage restrictions and export difficulties, noting that restoring production will not be quick because most of the region’s fields, including Iraqi fields, rely on water and gas injection systems to maintain oil reservoir pressure.
She added that prolonged field closures make restarting more complicated, explaining that production recovery involves overlapping stages that include restarting logistics and reducing inventories before gradually returning to previous production levels.
The organization predicted that a full recovery would extend beyond the four-month period, while warning that production costs in the oil and gas sector would rise by between 4% and 6% if the conflict was short-term, and could reach 15% if hostilities continued.
The report indicated that continued tensions could also affect investments and mergers and acquisitions in the energy sector until 2026.
shafaq.com
