Iraq has resumed transporting crude oil by truck to Syria’s Baniyas port, establishing an alternative export route amid disruptions to shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran war.

Qatar’s UCC Holding began transporting Iraqi crude last month under a contract with Iraq’s state-owned oil marketer SOMO, shipping between 120,000 and 150,000 barrels per day (bbl/d), according to Bassem Abdul Karim, Director General of Basra Oil Company (BOC).

UCC Holding is a Qatar-based international business group with operations across several sectors, including energy, construction, and infrastructure.

The crude is transported from southern Iraq’s oilfields to Baniyas port for shipment to international markets, including refineries in Greece, Italy, and Turkey.

UCC currently operates a fleet of 6,000 trucks and plans to expand it to 10,000 to support the operation. However, export volumes are expected to remain around 150,000 bbl/d in the near term due to truck availability and logistical constraints.

The overland route, largely unused for decades, has regained importance as Iraq seeks to diversify its crude export channels beyond Gulf terminals. The improvement in security conditions following years of conflict in Syria has also contributed to the route’s renewed appeal.

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest oil producer, has traditionally relied on the Strait of Hormuz for the majority of its crude exports, making alternative transportation routes increasingly important amid regional disruptions.