Pipeline Revival on the Horizon
Construction work on an oil pipeline connecting Iraq to Syria's Mediterranean coast could begin in the first quarter of 2027, the chief executive of the Syrian Petroleum Company said at an energy forum in London on 6 October 2026. The project remains in its preliminary engineering design phase.
The plan centers on rehabilitating the long-dormant Kirkuk-Banias line, with the port of Banias on the Syrian coast being equipped to receive Iraqi crude once the route is operational.
A Line Idle Since 2003
The original Kirkuk-Banias pipeline was built in the 1950s and began operating in 1952, running roughly 800 kilometers with an initial capacity of 300,000 barrels per day. It has been out of service since 2003.
After rehabilitation, officials are targeting throughput of about two million barrels per day, a figure well above the line's original design. Where sections of the old route are no longer usable, planners are weighing alternative paths for the pipeline.
Cost and Technical Studies
The rehabilitation is estimated to cost between $300 million and $600 million (USD). Joint technical teams have been assessing the pipeline's condition since April 2026 to determine how much of the existing infrastructure can be reused.
Syria and Iraq signed memorandums of understanding in July 2026 covering the rehabilitation of the Kirkuk-Banias corridor, which laid the groundwork for the engineering studies now underway and for the timeline set out at the London forum.
What Is at Stake
A functioning cross-border crude link would reconnect Iraqi oil fields to a Mediterranean export outlet through Syrian territory, creating a potential source of transit revenue and renewed energy flows for the country after years of disruption.
The first-quarter 2027 start date remains contingent on completion of the design work, and the stated capacity target will depend on the extent of the rebuilding required along the route.