Turkey Restarts Iraqi Crude Flows To Global Markets After Pipeline Blast - Operator

(@FahadShabbir)

Turkey Restarts Iraqi Crude Flows to Global Markets After Pipeline Blast - Operator

State-owned Turkish petroleum pipeline company Botas said on Wednesday that it had resumed pumping Iraqi crude oil to international markets after an explosion at the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline

ANKARA (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th January, 2022) State-owned Turkish petroleum pipeline company Botas said on Wednesday that it had resumed pumping Iraqi crude oil to international markets after an explosion at the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

On January 18, a powerful explosion occurred at the pipeline, which is Iraq's major oil export link, in the Kahramanmaras province in southeastern Turkey. A fire broke out causing the nearby roads to be closed.

"The explosion and the fire that broke out as a result of the explosion at the 511th kilometer of the Iraq-Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline on January 18, 2022, are completely extinguished and the cooling works are completed," Botas said in a written statement.

The explosion did not cause any casualties. The cause of the incident is unclear.

"All necessary precautions have been taken by Botas teams and the oil flow has been restarted as of 11:00 a.m. (14:00 GMT) today," Botas added.

The Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline is a 602-mile-long pipeline running from Iraqi Kirkuk to southern Ceyhan in Turkey, onward to Mediterranean refineries and transported further via seaborne shipping. In 2014, it was the target of violent terrorist attacks by the Islamic State (terrorist organization, banned in Russia), causing crude oil prices to increase owing to supply constraints.