Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne said on Tuesday that it is important to develop alternative pipelines to export oil and gas from the Middle East.

During an energy conference in Paris, Pouyanne indicated that Iraq possesses several routes that could provide a secure outlet to global markets, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, according to Reuters.

The recent tensions in the region have underscored the need to strengthen the energy sector’s infrastructure and establish alternative export routes, according to Pouyanne.

According to TotalEnergies’ CEO, Iraq is able to access global markets through Turkey or Syria, as well as other prospective routes through the Gulf States.

He mentioned that TotalEnergies extracted oil in Iraq in 1928 and constructed a pipeline from there to Syria in six years. He noted that the oil was transported using the largest tanker of that era to a refinery located in southern France.

Pouyanne added that the success of oil infrastructure projects in Iraq a century ago demonstrates the feasibility of carrying out similar ones at the present time, which improves worldwide energy security and minimizes the risks associated with the passage through the Strait of Hormuz.