Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region to Türkiye’s Ceyhan Port have begun with initial pumping rates ranging between 10,000 and 50,000 barrels per day, marking the start of a gradual restart of the export system, an oil expert told Shafaq News on Friday.

Oil expert Ali Khalil said the current phase is a trial operation designed to test the safety and stability of the oil network before exports increase to full capacity. According to Khalil, export levels are expected to stabilize at around 100,000 barrels per day within the coming hours if the system continues to operate smoothly.

He explained that any further increase in export volumes will depend on the readiness of pipelines and pumping stations, as well as ongoing coordination between the federal government in Iraq and authorities in the Kurdistan Region to ensure uninterrupted oil flows.

Crude oil is transported through the Kirkuk–Ceyhan Pipeline corridor, which runs through the Kurdistan Region and connects northern Iraqi oil fields to export terminals on the Mediterranean coast. The route remains one of the most important channels for exporting crude oil from northern Iraq to global markets.

Khalil emphasized that any disruption in the pipeline network could have immediate economic consequences, noting that interruptions in exports would directly affect Iraq’s oil revenues and increase financial pressure on the federal budget, given the country’s heavy dependence on oil income.