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Workers load crude oil into tanker trucks at the Tuba crude depot, where Iraqi crude is transferred for export through Syria's Baniyas Port, Basra, Iraq, Nov. 12, 2026. (Credit: Essam Al-Sudani/Reuters) Add as preferred on Google Outside a depot near Basra, hundreds of tanker trucks queue to load Iraqi crude oil bound for the Syrian port of Baniyas via an overland desert route which had been largely unused for decades.Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, has been working to find alternative export routes for its oil since the Strait of Hormuz, its usual outlet, was disrupted by the war on Iran.Despite higher transportation costs, the overland route has also regained appeal because of an end to years of conflict in Syria, two people close to the matter told Reuters.Although Iraq exports most of its crude from Gulf terminals, the Syrian route has become a small but strategically significant alternative for moving cargoes of heavy crude.Since last month, Qatari energy group UCC Holding has been shipping Iraqi crude oil by truck to Baniyas, said Bassem Abdul Karim,... You have reached your article limit.Stay informed as events unfold across a region in flux.Subscribe for $0.5/month for the first 3 months. Subscribe now Log in This article is only available to L’Orient Today subscribers. Subscribe now Log in Create a free account to continue reading this article. You’ll also receive The Morning Brief, our must-read daily digest of Middle East news. Opt out anytime Email Address Password Email Address Password I would like to receive special offers from L'Orient Today as well as selections of the best articles. Register By creating an account, you agree to the terms and conditions of use and our privacy policy. Register Or register with: Facebook
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