Iraq cuts West Qurna/2 output 100% under force majeure

Shafaq News- Basra

Basra Oil Company directed operators at West Qurna/2 to suspend pumping entirely and cut production to 50,000 barrels per day effective midnight on June 23, citing the continued absence of available tankers under an ongoing force majeure condition.

According to an internal company document received by Shafaq News, the directive ordered a 100 percent suspension of pumping operations and instructed field operators to store remaining output in on-site tanks. No resumption timeline was specified in the document.

West Qurna/2 is one of Iraq's largest oilfields, located approximately 65 kilometers northwest of Basra in southern Iraq, producing around 460,000 to 480,000 barrels per day and holding an estimated 14 billion barrels of recoverable reserves. The field accounts for nearly 9 percent of Iraq's total crude output.

Last March, Iraq also declared force majeure across its oil sector, citing disruption linked to the US-Israel-Iran conflict. The condition at West Qurna/2 has also been in effect in late 2025, when Russian energy company Lukoil, which held a 75 percent stake in the field under a technical service contract signed in 2010, declared force majeure following the impact of Western sanctions. The Iraqi cabinet subsequently transferred operational control to Basra Oil Company, the state-run operator, which has managed the field since under interim arrangements.

Basrah Heavy crude fell on Wednesday 4.09 percent to $45.78 per barrel, while Basrah Medium dropped 3.91 percent to $47.88 per barrel. The declines tracked broader global movements, with Brent crude down 0.71 percent to $76.53 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate falling by the same margin to $72.69 per barrel. The UAE's Murban crude dropped 1.64 percent to $69.63 per barrel.

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