Iraq is planning the work to maintain and upgrade its key undersea oil exports pipelines and its two onshore ports that will help boost export capacity.
Iraq has completed the bids for foreign services companies to compete to build two undersea 48-inch oil exports pipelines to replace existing outdated lines.
Ahmed Fadhil, a deputy manager of Basra Oil Co. (BOC) said that the work in the second quarter of 2022. The two lines to ship crude oil to the Basra offshore terminal are expected to be operational in mid-2024.
Currently, a third undersea pipeline is under construction and is expected to be completed in mid-2023.
Upon completion, the three export lines have a combined capacity to export 3 million bpd.
Fadhil added that the country has also awarded a Russian company a deal to study the damages and start repair works on another 42-inch undersea export pipe that transports crude oil to its Khor al-Amaya terminal. He did not name the company.
He elaborated that the maintenance works are set to be completed at Khor al-Amaya by the end of 2022. The initial capacity is 400,000 bpd.
