Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline

The Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, also known as the Iraq–Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline, is a 600-mile-long (970 km) pipeline that runs from Kirkuk in Iraq to Ceyhan in Turkey. It is Iraq's largest crude oil export line.

Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
Location of Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
Location of Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline
Location
CountryIraq, Turkey
General directioneast-west
FromKirkuk, Iraq
ToCeyhan, Turkey
General information
Typeoil
Commissioned1970
Technical information
Length600 mi (970 km)
Maximum discharge1.6 million barrels per day (250×10^3 m3/d)

Technical description

The pipeline consists of two pipes with diameters of 46 inches (1,170 mm) and 40 inches (1,020 mm) and designed capacity of 1,100 thousand and 500 thousand barrels per day (~5.5×10^7 and ~2.5×10^7 t/a) respectively. Usable capacity of the line is believed to be only 300 thousand barrels per day (~1.5×10^7 t/a), with significant repairs still required.[1]

Incidents of sabotage

The line's Iraqi part has been a principal sabotage target since 2003.[2] On 26 October 2009, the blast near Mosul halted oil supplies through the pipeline.[3] On 16 August 2013, at around 0100 GMT near the al-Shura area 60 km to the south of the city of Mosul a bomb attack damaged the pipeline.[4] On 3 September 2013, at around 0200 GMT near Ein al-Jahash area, a bomb attack damaged the pipeline.[5]

Kurdistan Pipeline

In 2013, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq completed a pipeline from the Taq Taq oil field through Khurmala (the northwest sector dome of the greater Kirkuk field) and Dahuk to Pesh Khabur (Fesh Khabur) on the Turkey-Iraq border, where it is connected to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. This 36-inch (910 mm) diameter pipeline has capacity of 150,000 barrels per day (24,000 m3/d). It allows the export of oil from the Taq Taq and Tawke oil fields.[6] On 23 May 2014, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced that the first oil transported via the new pipeline was loaded into a tanker at Ceyhan.[7]

New pipeline proposal

Iraq is considering building a new Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline to bypass attack-prone areas and double the export capacity.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Gulf states mull over Hormuz bypass". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. 2007-05-11. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  2. "Explosion at fuel pipeline west of Baghdad". USA Today. 2003-06-22. Retrieved 2008-03-08.
  3. "Blast rocks Kirkuk export link". Upstream Online. NHST Media Group. 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
  4. "Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline bombed: officials". Reuters. 2013-08-16.
  5. "Bomb attack halts Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline crude flow". The Peninsula Qatar (newspaper). Dar Al-Sharq. 2013-09-03. Archived from the original on 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2013-09-03.
  6. "Operations in Kurdistan Region of Iraq". Genel Energy. Archived from the original on 2014-06-12. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  7. "KRG statement on first oil sales through pipeline export" (Press release). Kurdistan Regional Government. 2014-05-23. Archived from the original on 2014-07-15. Retrieved 2014-06-14.
  8. Coskun, Orhan (2014-04-09). "Iraq wants to raise Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil flow above 1 mln bpd-minister". Reuters. Retrieved 2014-06-16.
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