Baghdad, April 16 (QNA) - Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz witnessed a sharp decline in March due to restrictions imposed by Iran on maritime traffic amid the military escalation in the region.
According to data from the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO), the number of oil tankers carrying Basra Medium and Heavy crude in March fell to only 15 vessels, compared to 83 vessels in February, reflecting an 82% decrease in shipping activity.
The volume exported through the strait reached approximately 14.56 million barrels, while 3.97 million barrels were transported via the Kurdistan Region pipeline to the port of Ceyhan, bringing total Iraqi exports to 18.6 million barrels in March, down from over 99.8 million barrels in February.
The data shows that all 15 tankers transited the Strait of Hormuz between March 1st and 8th, after which Iraqi oil tanker traffic ceased entirely, despite limited exceptions communicated by SOMO to shipping companies and buyers.
In a related development, production in the Kurdistan Region declined significantly, with exports falling to 41,000 barrels per day compared to 198,000 in February. Total production reached approximately 91,000 barrels per day, a decrease of 157,000 barrels per day.
As for Kirkuk and Kurdistan Region exports via the Ceyhan port in March, nine ships transported 1.27 million barrels of oil from the region and 2.7 million barrels of Kirkuk oil to European and American markets.(QNA)