Iraq halted Kirkuk oil exports through its northern pipeline to Turkey on Monday, a shipping source said. The line is Iraq's secondary export route, transporting crude from the northern fields around Kirkuk to the Turkish Mediterranean oil terminal at Ceyhan. Iraq ships most of its exports through its main export terminal at Basra, which handles about 1.6 million barrels per day.
The pipeline to Turkey was pumping at around 300,000 bpd before the stoppage, the shipping agent said. "They stopped about midday today," he said. "We don't know why." Tighter security has allowed Baghdad to boost exports through the pipeline since last summer. The route was plagued by sabotage and technical problems for over four years following the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003.
The flow through the pipeline also stopped briefly on Friday, the agent said. Iraqi oil in storage at Ceyhan stood at around 700,000 barrels on Monday. A vessel sailed with 650,000 barrels early on Monday for French refiner Total, he said. Another vessel sailed on Sunday with 600,000 barrels for Royal Dutch Shell, he added.