Sabotage Brings Iraq North Oil System to a Halt

[leftchick]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20050110/wl_nm/energy_iraq_dc&cid=574&ncid=1480


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Sabotage has paralyzed oil operations in Iraq (news - web sites)'s north, forcing a suspension in refining while export flows remain idle, oil officials said on Monday.


They said attacks in recent days on oil facilities, including export routes and domestic pipelines feeding power stations, have virtually brought Iraq's strategic fields to a halt.


"The system is virtually down. We are looking at a week to get the refineries back up and more for exports to resume," said an oil official, who declined to be named.


Oil facilities in the north have a diminished postwar output capacity of 700,000 barrels per day (bpd), including 500,000 bpd of exports through a pipeline that runs to Turkey's Ceyhan port. Flows through the line have been halted since it was attacked on Dec. 18.


<snip>

Oil Minister Thamir al-Ghadbhan told Al Arabiya Television over the weekend that "total war" has been declared on Iraq's oil infrastructure by enemies of the pro-U.S. government.

[Moderator]

1. Duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1132767