Scope of this study
Iraqi crude export routes.
This report explains how Iraqi crude moves from producing fields to export terminals and then by sea to receiving terminals and refineries. The routes are geographical descriptions; they do not confirm availability or the approved itinerary of a particular cargo.
Export gateways
Southern gateway via Basra and northern gateway via Ceyhan.
Southern gateway via Basra
Crude moves through pipelines to storage and offshore export terminals and loading points off Basra. Once loaded, the tanker proceeds through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz.
Northern gateway via Ceyhan
Northern crude can move through the pipeline system to the Turkish terminal of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean. Use of this gateway depends on actual operations and the arrangements approved for the cargo.
Southern gateway
- Basra
- Arabian Gulf
- Strait of Hormuz
Northern gateway
- Ceyhan
- Mediterranean
Terminal readiness, navigation conditions, transport and insurance requirements must be checked when contracting each shipment.
Route to China
From the southern Iraqi terminals to the receiving port, via the Strait of Malacca or the Lombok Strait.
Main route from Basra
- Basra
- Arabian Gulf
- Strait of Hormuz
- Gulf of Oman
- Arabian Sea
- Indian Ocean
- Strait of Malacca
- South China Sea
- Chinese receiving port
Alternative passage
- Basra
- Strait of Hormuz
- Indian Ocean
- Lombok Strait
- Chinese receiving port
Main route from Basra
Basra loading terminals, Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, followed by the Strait of Malacca and the South China Sea, then the agreed Chinese receiving port.
Final approach to China
The final leg depends on the terminal and refinery location. Northern destinations may require onward sailing through waters east of China toward the nominated port; southern destinations may terminate closer to the South China Sea.
Alternative passage
A passage via the Lombok Strait may be evaluated instead of Malacca, according to tanker draft, navigation limits and voyage requirements. The carrier compares the alternatives for the specific vessel and cargo.
Receipt and discharge
After vessel acceptance and port clearance, agreed measurements and sampling are performed. Crude is discharged into receiving tanks and transferred to the refinery through the available infrastructure.
Voyage considerations
Discharge location, vessel size and draft, passage conditions, weather, congestion, fuel, freight and insurance costs, berth availability and receiving storage all affect the voyage.
Malacca links the Indian Ocean with East Asian shipping routes. This eastbound itinerary does not require the Suez Canal. [2]
Routes to Europe
Suez, SUMED, the Cape of Good Hope and Ceyhan.
Via the Red Sea and Suez Canal
- Basra
- Strait of Hormuz
- Arabian Sea
- Gulf of Aden
- Bab el-Mandeb
- Red Sea
- Suez Canal
- Mediterranean
- Gibraltar → Atlantic → NW Europe
Via the Cape of Good Hope
- Basra
- Strait of Hormuz
- Indian Ocean
- Cape of Good Hope
- Atlantic Ocean
- Europe
From Ceyhan
- Ceyhan
- Mediterranean
- Gibraltar → Atlantic → NW Europe
Via the Red Sea and Suez Canal
From Basra, the tanker sails through Hormuz, the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb to the Red Sea, then through Suez to the Mediterranean when conditions and navigation limits permit.
European receiving destinations
A cargo may discharge at a Mediterranean terminal. For northwestern European destinations, the voyage continues through Gibraltar to the Atlantic and the nominated receiving port.
The SUMED option in Egypt
SUMED can move crude between the Red Sea and Mediterranean under an arrangement involving discharge and reloading. It is an oil pipeline, not a passage through which the tanker sails.
Via the Cape of Good Hope
The alternative from Basra runs through Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, around southern Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, then into the Atlantic toward Europe. It is generally longer than the Suez route; time and cost are calculated for each voyage.
From Ceyhan
A tanker departs directly into the Mediterranean for a Mediterranean destination, or continues through Gibraltar to Atlantic and northwestern European ports. The sea voyage from Ceyhan does not pass through Hormuz.
Route selection depends on vessel suitability, operating capacity, cost and security conditions at shipment. [2, 3]
Routes to the United States
The receiving coast determines the final itinerary: East, Gulf or West Coast.
East Coast and Gulf Coast
- Basra
- Strait of Hormuz
- Indian Ocean
- Cape of Good Hope
- Atlantic Ocean
- U.S. East Coast / Gulf Coast
U.S. West Coast
- Basra
- Strait of Hormuz
- Indian Ocean
- Southeast Asian passage
- Pacific Ocean
- U.S. West Coast
East Coast and Gulf Coast
A tanker can sail from Basra through Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope and into the Atlantic, then to its U.S. receiving terminal. The final approach depends on the discharge port.
Suez or SUMED option
A Red Sea route via Suez or the SUMED system, followed by the Mediterranean, Gibraltar and Atlantic, may be evaluated. Selection depends on vessel size, draft, operational limits and cost.
U.S. West Coast
An eastbound itinerary through the Indian Ocean and a suitable Southeast Asian passage, then across the Pacific to the West Coast, can be studied. This is a possible geographical route, not confirmation of any specific Iraqi cargo itinerary.
Shipments from Ceyhan
For Atlantic and Gulf Coast destinations, the sea route starts at Ceyhan and continues through the Mediterranean and Gibraltar into the Atlantic. Availability depends on the cargo and northern export arrangements.
Discharge and settlement
Documents, quantity measurements and samples are checked. Crude is transferred to receiving tanks, and delivered quantity and quality are reconciled against the invoicing basis and tolerances. Payment, costs and claims follow the contract.
Suez and SUMED serve Gulf oil movements toward Europe and North America; the Cape provides an alternative route. [2, 3]
Route to the Port of Fujairah
Receipt, storage and possible onward shipment.
Route from Basra
- Basra offshore terminals
- Arabian Gulf
- Strait of Hormuz
- Gulf of Oman
- Port of Fujairah
Route from Basra
The cargo loads at the offshore export terminals off Basra and proceeds through the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman, then to the approved receiving terminal at Fujairah in the UAE.
Location and role
Fujairah lies on the Gulf of Oman outside the Strait of Hormuz. Its liquid-bulk infrastructure, storage terminals and marine services can support receipt, storage and reloading, subject to contracts, capacity and acceptance of the crude grade.
Acceptance requirements
Agree in advance with a suitable terminal operator on grade, volume, storage capacity and duration, vessel requirements, discharge rate, service charges, customs procedures and documents. Oil infrastructure does not imply automatic acceptance of every cargo.
Discharge and storage
After approval and clearance, measurements and sampling are performed and crude is transferred into receiving tanks. Quantity and quality are reconciled. Iraqi crude identity and origin remain documented during storage and re-export.
Onward shipment
An approved arrangement may reload crude toward China via the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asian passages, or toward Europe and the United States along the selected route. Storage, discharge, reloading and financing costs must be included in the commercial evaluation.
A seaborne Basra-to-Fujairah cargo must pass through Hormuz. Fujairah's location does not make this a Hormuz bypass for Iraqi crude or establish a direct Iraq-Fujairah pipeline. [4]
Planning references
Plan each cargo against the actual conditions: route selection, voyage time and reference material.
Before booking the tanker
Define crude grade, quantity, loading and discharge terminals and shipment window. Confirm vessel acceptance at both terminals and establish freight, insurance, inspection, allowed operational time and delay terms.
Estimating transit time
No single fixed duration applies to each market. Calculate time from sailing distance, vessel speed and the actual itinerary, then add waiting, loading, discharge and any reloading. A contractual duration requires a defined voyage plan.
Technical references
- U.S. EIA: Iraq country analysis
- U.S. EIA: World Oil Transit Chokepoints
- U.S. EIA: Suez Canal and SUMED Pipeline
- Fujairah Ports Authority: Oil activities and infrastructure
The terminal image is AI-generated industry imagery, not a record of company-owned assets or projects. Operating conditions must be checked for each shipment.
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