Iraqis Queue for Fuel as Regional War Disrupts Imports

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Drivers formed long queues outside fuel stations in Baghdad on Saturday as gasoline supplies dwindled amid disruptions to imports due to the ongoing regional conflict.

The shortages are particularly striking in oil-rich Iraq, the second-largest oil producer in OPEC. Despite its large crude output, Iraq imports refined petroleum products because its refineries cannot produce enough gasoline to meet domestic demand.

Fuel queues have reappeared every few days in Baghdad and other provinces, particularly at government-run stations. Residents say the shortages are worsening already difficult traffic conditions.

Baghdad resident Ibrahim Hashem said he waited two hours at a fuel station on Friday without success before returning early Saturday.

"It is unreasonable that we produce so many barrels of oil a day, yet still do not have enough gasoline to meet our daily needs," Hashem told AFP.

Iraq's average daily gasoline consumption is around 33 million litres, but demand can rise to 38 million litres when motorists panic over possible shortages.

The Oil Ministry said regional events and the continuing conflict were creating logistical difficulties for tanker traffic, delaying shipments reaching Iraqi ports. It urged citizens to purchase only the fuel they need and avoid panic buying.

Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair described the shortage as temporary and said new shipments would arrive soon.

The disruption is linked to wider regional instability and difficulties surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, through which most Iraqi oil exports pass.

Iraq depends heavily on oil, which accounts for around 90 percent of government revenues. After exports fell sharply during the conflict, oil shipments recovered to more than 2.2 million barrels per day in August, according to the Oil Ministry.