Turkish, Iraqi officials discuss resuming Kirkuk oil exports

BAGHDAD - Reuters

A Turkish energy delegation has met with Iraqi top oil officials in Baghdad to discuss issues including the resumption of Kirkuk oil exports via the Turkish port of Ceyhan, Iraq’s oil ministry said in a statement on Nov. 16.

“A high level Turkish energy delegation met with senior oil officials, including officials from state-run SOMO, to discuss ways to restart Kirkuk oil exports,” the statement said.

Iraq plans to increase production from oilfields in Kirkuk to one million barrels per day, the Iraqi energy ministry spokesman said on Nov. 13.

Exports from oilfields in Kirkuk have been on hold since Iraqi forces took back control of them from the Kurds last month.

On Oct. 17, Iraqi forces took control of the Bai Hasan and Avana oilfields northwest of Kirkuk, after Kurdish Peshmerga fighters pulled out from the region, security sources said.

Iraq needs at least three months to repair an old pipeline which was shipping Kirkuk crude to Ceyhan port in Turkey. The main 600,000 bpd Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline had been offline since March 2014 following insurgent attacks.