Baniyas: The Syrian Petroleum Company announced Wednesday the launch of the first export operation of Iraqi fuel oil to global markets. According to Anadolu Agency, the company began loading Iraqi fuel onto the tanker 'Asahi Princess' at the Baniyas refinery in Tartous province in western Syria, in an operation expected to last around three days. Fuel oil, a mixture of heavy residues left after crude oil refining, is used as a fuel source for heat generation, electricity, and mechanical energy.

The company stated that the tanker's capacity is estimated at approximately 85,000 tons, although details regarding its nationality or destination were not disclosed. The loading process is being carried out through a pipeline extending from the Baniyas refinery to the oil terminal, with the expectation that it may take three days or more, depending on weather conditions.

This operation marks the first export of Iraqi fuel via the Syrian oil port since December 2024. The development follows the reopening of the Al-Tanf-Al-Waleed border crossing between Syria and Iraq, which had been closed for 11 years after the ISIS (Daesh) group took control of the area in 2015. On April 1, the first Iraqi fuel convoys entered Syrian territory through this crossing, heading to the Baniyas refinery.

Safwan Sheikh Ahmad, director of corporate communications at the Syrian Petroleum Company, informed Anadolu that Iraqi fuel flows are expected to reach around 500,000 metric tons per month. This initiative comes amid disruptions to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, prompting countries to explore alternative maritime and land routes to maintain supply chains and energy flows.