Trump Backs $5.7 Billion Chevron Pipeline to Move 2 Million Barrels a Day Around Hormuz
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 2
Trump Backs $5.7 Billion Chevron Pipeline to Move 2 Million Barrels a Day Around Hormuz
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 2
Summary
A Chevron-led pipeline backed by the Trump administration would carry 2 million barrels of crude a day from Basra to Syria’s Baniyas port, with Syrian officials expecting a final consortium contract in September.
The 1,000-mile project gained urgency after the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran halted cargo traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Iraqi exporters to test an overland route now served by about 5,000 oil trucks daily.
Syria’s new government is pitching the line as part of a broader bid to become a Mediterranean transit hub after sanctions relief, with Qatari, French and Syrian investors involved and possible future links to Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Security remains the main obstacle: the route crosses western Iraq, where Iran-backed militias operate, while Islamic State cells still stage sporadic attacks and Syria’s war-damaged infrastructure would need major rebuilding.
Even if built in at least 2½ years, the pipeline would not fully replace Hormuz shipping, but it could give Gulf producers a long-term alternative as war exposed the risks of relying on the strait and, increasingly, the Red Sea.
Can a multi-billion dollar pipeline through war-torn Syria truly replace the world's most critical oil chokepoint?
Will high-tech surveillance drones be enough to protect a 1,000-mile oil lifeline from active insurgent cells in the Syrian desert?
Strait of Hormuz Blockade 2026: Global Oil Shock, U.S. SPR Depletion, and the Urgent Pipeline Push to the Mediterranean
Overview
The report details how the February 2026 U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, triggering the largest oil supply disruption in history. This immediate shutdown caused war-risk insurance premiums to soar and forced Iraq’s oil exports to drop by 90% in April. The complete blockade pushed Brent crude prices above $94 per barrel by September and swelled the global energy import bill by $330 billion in just six months. The crisis also caused severe economic contractions in Gulf states like Kuwait and Qatar, highlighting the world’s vulnerability to chokepoint disruptions and the urgent need for alternative export routes.