Oil flows from Iraqi Kurdistan and Kirkuk to Turkiye’s Ceyhan port halted

Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Oil exports from fields in the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk to Turkiye’s Ceyhan port through the Iraq–Turkiye pipeline were temporarily halted on Monday, a source in the oil sector told Shafaq News.

The suspension followed a halt in production by several companies operating in fields in the Kurdistan Region, reducing the volume of crude available for export through the pipeline.

Oil sector authorities notified the North Oil Company of the stoppage, which in turn informed Iraq’s Oil Ministry, the source added.

Before the disruption, exports through the pipeline were estimated at about 200,000 barrels per day.

No timeline has been set for the resumption of pumping operations, as the conditions that led to the production halt in several fields remain unresolved.

The Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline is one of the main export routes for crude produced in northern Iraq, transporting oil from Kirkuk and the Kurdistan Region to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan for shipment to global markets. With the Strait of Hormuz facing a de facto closure amid escalating regional tensions, Iraq’s Oil Ministry has been considering the Kirkuk–Ceyhan route as a potential alternative corridor to sustain exports and limit pressure on state revenues. One scenario involves expanding shipments through the Iraq–Turkiye pipeline, which has a theoretical capacity of around one million barrels per day. Additional volumes could also be moved by tanker trucks or other logistical arrangements if maritime routes become unsafe.