Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi Minister of Oil Basim Khudair said on Monday that the export rate during October has risen to 3.4 million barrels per day through three routes, including the Strait of Hormuz.
Iraq’s crude oil export in October surpassed 3.4 million barrels per day through the Strait of Hormuz, the Turkish port of Ceyhan, and the Syrian port of Baniyas, according to Khudair.
Despite the military conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil—through the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO)—has managed to maintain an average export rate of three million barrels per day over the past nine months, according to the oil minister.
However, since the beginning of October, the export rate has risen to over 3.4 million barrels per day, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.
The Ministry of Oil is trying to boost export capacity, which will provide financial revenue for the state. Khudair noted that developing export capacity will allow the government to carry out its tasks and secure the required funds for different governmental expenditures.
Khudair noted that crude oil exports are directed to European and Asian markets, as well as the American market.
Eco Iraq revealed on Saturday that oil production during September reached its highest daily average since the beginning of 2026, at 4.39 million barrels per day.
Iraq’s oil output stayed at normal levels in January and February, averaging more than 4.1 million barrels per day, before falling drastically in March as a result of the war in the region.
Iraq’s average daily oil output was 4.09 million barrels in January and 4.14 million barrels in February before falling to 1.9 million barrels in March and 1.63 million in April.
In May, the country’s oil production fell to 1.4 million barrels per day before rising to 1.52 million in June.
The improvement in oil output continued until the third quarter of the year. According to figures from OPEC, average output increased to 2.9 million barrels per day in July, 3.74 million barrels per day in August, and 4.39 million barrels per day in September.
