BAGHDAD: Iraq has plans to start transporting around 30,000 barrels of oil per a day to the Iranian refineries of Kermashan by truck before the end of January, Luaibi said during a press conference. The oil minister announced earlier in December that Iraq signed an agreement with Iran to export crude oil from fields in Kirkuk at a rate of between 30 and 60 thousand barrels per day. The agreement came after the Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk and the areas disputed with the Kurdistan region in mid-October. The Iranian side is expected to hand over the same quantities with the same specifications across southern Iraq,” said Luaibi in a statement. The director of SOMO, Alaa Yasiri said that the agreement will contribute to an additional trade port for Iraq and facilitate transporting oil to the south “as well as strengthening economic relations with its neighboring countries. Iraq is a founding member of the OPEC cartel and its second largest producer after Saudi Arabia and currently exports about 4.5 million bpd.
