Outside a depot near Basra, hundreds of tanker trucks queue to load Iraqi crude oil bound for the Syrian port of Baniyas via an overland desert route which had been largely unused for decades, Reuters reports.

Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, has been working to find alternative export routes for its oil since the Strait of Hormuz, its usual outlet, was disrupted by the Iran war. Despite higher transportation costs, the overland route has also regained appeal because of an end to years of conflict in Syria, two people close to the matter tell Reuters.

Since last month, Qatari energy group UCC Holding has been shipping Iraqi crude oil by truck to Baniyas, said Bassem Abdul Karim, director general of state-run Basra Oil Company (BOC).

UCC began shipping 120,000 to 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) under a contract with state oil marketer SOMO, with cargo volumes depending on truck availability, Abdul Karim added.

UCC and SOMO have not responded to requests for comment.