Fire again halts Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline

Export route: Kirkuk-Ceyhan twin pipeline subject to frequent sabotage attacks

A fire on a pipeline carrying about a quarter of Iraq's oil exports has reportedly forced the closure of the link on Monday and halted loading at Turkey's Ceyhan export terminal.

The cause of the fire on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline in Turkey's Sirnak province near the Iraqi border was not immediately known, but authorities suspected sabotage, security sources said, according to Reuters.

It is the second such incident within a month after another overnight blast attributed to Kurdistan rebels hit the 600-mile twin pipeline on 6 August.

The incident knocked out flows pending repairs that had been expected to take up to ten days, although exports were able to resume on the second line after four days.

Monday’s fire was extinguished and workers tried to cool the pipeline.…

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