Iraq fuel queues grow as war disrupts gasoline imports

Drivers queued outside fuel stations in Baghdad on Saturday as gasoline supplies fell in Iraq because of import disruptions linked to the Middle East war.

Iraq is OPEC's second largest oil producer, but it imports oil derivatives because its refineries do not produce enough gasoline to meet domestic demand.

Long lines have reappeared every few days in recent weeks, mostly outside government-run fuel stations in Baghdad and other provinces.

Baghdad resident Ibrahim Hashem said he waited for two hours outside a fuel station on Friday without filling his car, then returned early the next day. “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,” he said.

Authorities say Iraq's average daily gasoline consumption is 33 million litres, rising to 38 million litres when people panic over shortages.

The oil ministry said Friday that “regional events and the ongoing conflict” were causing logistical problems for tanker traffic and delaying arrivals at Iraqi ports. It urged people to buy only what they needed and avoid crowding fuel stations for small amounts.

Oil Minister Bassem Mohammed Khudair said the ministry was addressing a “temporary shortage of gasoline” and that new shipments would arrive soon to help stabilise supplies.

Iraq has been affected by the US-Iran conflict, which has choked off the Strait of Hormuz. Before the war erupted in February, Iraq produced around four million barrels per day and exported an average of 3.4 million barrels per day, mostly via Hormuz.

After a significant drop, Iraqi oil exports recovered to more than 2.2 million barrels per day in August, according to the oil ministry. Iran's state news agency IRNA said last month that Tehran had granted permission over the past six months for a number of Iraqi oil tankers to pass through Hormuz.