ANKARA - Oil transfer from Kirkuk-Yumurtalik Oil Pipeline started again on Wednesday.
Energy and Natural Resources Ministry stated that oil transfer which was limited with the decision of the United Nations after Gulf Crisis and then completely stopped with the operation of the United States against Iraq started again today as of 04.30 p.m.
Oil is expected to reach Yumurtalik facilities at 10.00 p.m. today.
6.5 Million Barrels Of Iraqi Oil In Yumurtalik Storing Facilities Sold
Almost 6.5 million barrels of oil in Kirkuk-Yumurtalik Oil Pipeline and Yumurtalik storing facilities in Ceyhan were sold.
Sources told A.A correspondent on Wednesday that oil flow was stopped in the pipeline with U.S. operation against Iraq.
The sources said that oil production and export re-started after new administration had been formed in Iraq.
Crude oil purchasers stopped oil purchase from the region as operation on Iraq started on March 19, the sources noted.
The sources stated that oil flow was stopped on March 23 as storing facilities in Yumurtalik became totally full.
Daily oil export from Iraq is expected to exceed 1 million barrels within the first three months and to be doubled within the first year.
Before the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik pipeline stopped operation, approximately 750 thousand barrels of oil were being pumped a day within the framework of the United Nations (U.N.) oil for food programme.
-LOSS EXCEEDS 1 BILLION U.S. DOLLARS-
Pipeline Transportation Inc.`s (BOTAS) total loss in Gulf War is calculated as 1 billion 252 million 62 thousand U.S. dollars. 1 million 52 million U.S. dollars of this loss resulted from the decrease in transportation incomes and the rest 126 million stemmed from the unpaid transportation fees.
BOTAS`s loss in port incomes in 12 years totaled 63 million U.S. dollars and its loss in refinement incomes amounted to 10 million U.S. dollars.
Annual loss of Turkey, which is the transit passage route of 1.6 million barrels of Iraqi oil per day, after the Gulf War was 300 million U.S. dollars.
-OIL PIPELINE-
Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline system brings crude oil struck from Kirkuk and other production fields in Iraq to Ceyhan (Yumurtalik) Sea Terminal.
Turkey used to raise an annual income of 230 million U.S. dollars through oil pipeline transportation. This amount used to exceed 300 million U.S. dollars when port and refinement incomes were added.
Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline which stopped pumping oil in August 1990 due to embargo imposed on Iraq by the U.N. started operational again with limited oil transportation on December 16, 1996.
The storing facilities in Yumurtalik Port has a capacity of storing almost 6.5 billion barrels of oil.
(BRC) 13.08.2003