Faction protests halt Iraqi fuel tankers' passage to Jordan

Last Update: 2023-10-26 10:30:05- Source: Shafaq News

Shafaq News / The Jordanian newspaper Al-Ghad reported on Thursday that 30 tankers laden with Iraqi oil, en route to Jordan, had rerouted back to the Rutba region in Iraq due to their inability to traverse into the kingdom, owing to protests staged by certain factions in the vicinity.

Quoting an anonymous Jordanian government source, Al-Ghad affirmed, "The quantities due to the kingdom for the month of October have been received in full, and there are no political reasons behind the tankers' return," clarifying that efforts are underway to facilitate the resumption of the passage of these tankers.

The average supply of Iraqi oil to the kingdom is estimated at around 15,000 barrels daily. A responsible source within the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources emphasized that the return of several tankers carrying Iraqi oil to the Ramadi region, a consequence of the protests near the Trebil border crossing, is rooted in concerns for the safety of drivers and the tankers.

Additionally, the source affirmed that the imported quantities from Iraq constitute only 7-10% of the kingdom's crude oil and petroleum products needs. The return of the tankers has no impact on the supply of crude oil and petroleum products, given the major contracts between the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company and Saudi Aramco. These contracts allow for increased import quantities in case of shortages from any source.

The source further revealed that the kingdom's strategic crude oil reserves cover its needs for over 44 days, and the stockpile of petroleum products is sufficient for more than two months.