Iraq and Syria are exploring plans to revive a long-dormant oil pipeline that would link Iraqi oil fields to the Mediterranean Sea, a Syrian official announced on Sunday.

The move aims to diversify Iraq’s export routes and provide Syria with a stable, affordable crude supply.

Mustafa Marati, public relations director for Syria’s General Oil Administration, told Iraq's Shafaq news agency on Sunday that the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline would give Iraq a crucial additional outlet to European markets, reducing its reliance on southern terminals in the Persian Gulf. 

It would also serve as an alternative to the northern export route through Turkey, which has been inactive due to ongoing disputes.

“For Syria, it offers a chance to secure crude supplies more cheaply than maritime imports, meet domestic energy demand, and generate transit revenue,” said Marati.

Officials from both countries have recently exchanged high-level visits to study the project’s technical and economic feasibility, and reportedly agreed to form joint committees to evaluate the state of the old pipeline and determine whether to repair the existing route or construct a new one.

Built in 1952, the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline is one of the oldest oil export routes in the Middle East, stretching over 500 miles (800 kilometres) with a pumping capacity of up to 300,000 barrels per day. 

Currently dormant, the pipeline has been repeatedly shut down over the decades due to political and security crises in the region. 

However, the new Syrian government has been hinting at a possible pipeline revival, a move that could provide Syria with the much-needed crude and offer Iraq an alternative export route.