Iraq to Restart Oil Exports from Kirkuk

Sunday, 18th November 2018
by Editorial Team

040928-N-7034S-001 Arabian Gulf (Sept. 28, 2004) – The guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) conducts patrols near to the Iraqi Al Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) in the Northern Arabian Gulf. Mobile Bay is a part of USS Essex (LHD 2) Expeditionary Strike Group Three (ESG-3) currently on deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Samuel W. Shavers (RELEASED)

Iraq has restarted exporting oil from Kirkuk after being interrupted for a year due to conflicts between the central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government, industry sources said according to Reuters.

The flows resumed on November 16 at a low level of around 50,000 to 60,000 barrels per day (b/d), comparing to the peak level reached 300,000 b/d at the same period in 2017.

US has been putting Iraq under pressure to settle the disputes and resume the flows to overcome the shortage of crude oil caused by US sanctions on Iran.