Weather delays oil loadings at Turkey's Ceyhan, Iraq pipeline still stopped

Meanwhile, Iraq's crude oil pipeline to Turkey's Ceyhan port was still halted, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) energy ministry (MNR) said.

The KRG expects to restart pipeline flows later on Tuesday, according to a separate source familiar with KRG oil operations.

 

A massive earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on Monday had halted operations at Ceyhan and stopped key crude oil flows from Iraq and Azerbaijan.

The Vallesina tanker was offshore Ceyhan waiting to load Iraqi crude on Tuesday, while the Alfa Baltica and the Nordlotus tankers were waiting in the area for the Azeri crude BTC terminal at Ceyhan to reopen.

The BTC terminal is not expected to resume until Feb. 8 or 9, according to shipping and trading sources, as damage at the terminal was being assessed.

 

Two sources with direct knowledge added the BTC pipeline is working and continues to transport oil to Ceyhan.

Oil production at the BP-led Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli project in Azerbaijan continues as a result, the sources said.