Iraq Wednesday resumed normal pumping from its northern oil fields to the Turkish export terminal at Ceyhan after a brief suspension, a Middle East Shipping agent said.
"They resumed normal pumping of Kirkuk crude at 0200 local time today (Wednesday) after a suspension yesterday (Tuesday)," the shipping agent told Dow Jones Newswires by telephone from Ceyhan.
He said the rate of pumping since Wednesday early morning was at 18,000 barrels an hour, or 432,000 barrels a day.
Loading operations haven't started yet because there are only 300,000 barrels at the crude oil storage facilities in Ceyhan, he said. Two vessels are waiting at anchorage and two more are expected to arrive in the terminal, he added.
A shipping agent said Tuesday that Iraq's crude oil exports from Ceyhan port in the Mediterranean stopped for two to three days last week.
The shipping agent didn't say what was behind Tuesday's suspension. Power cuts are believed to be the reason.