Iraq's Northern Oil Exports to Türkiye Resume After Four-Month Halt

Oil shipments from northern Iraq to the Mediterranean terminal at Ceyhan, Türkiye, restarted this week following a four-month stoppage, a Northern Oil Company official confirmed Tuesday.

Repeated pipeline sabotage had cut off exports from the Kirkuk-centered northern fields since early 2006. The resumption followed the deployment of 5,000 soldiers assigned to guard the frequently targeted pipeline corridor.

The official said 600,000 barrels had moved through the line over the first three days of renewed operations, with daily field output running between 150,000 and 250,000 barrels. Stockpiles at Ceyhan have already built up to more than 2.5 million barrels awaiting export.

Iraq's primary oil output, roughly 2 million barrels per day, originates in the south. International experts regard the northern fields as significantly underdeveloped relative to their potential.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in June 2006, in its own words.