Iraqi Kirkuk crude oil is flowing to the Turkish port of Ceyhan at a rate of 250,000 barrels a day instead of the normal 400,000 barrels a day due to an explosion last week at one of the twin pipelines, shipping agents near and in the port said Monday.
The explosion which took place at one part of the pipeline last Wednesday didn't cut the flow from Kirkuk to Ceyhan because the other pipeline wasn't damaged, one shipping agent told Dow Jones Newswires from the port.
"There are two pipelines carrying Kirkuk crude to Ceyhan. There was an explosion caused by high pressure to one of them, while the second wasn't damaged," the agent said. However, he said the rate of the flow reduced from usual 400,000 barrels a day to 250,000 barrels a day, he said.
"The incident didn't affect the export schedule," he said. There were more than 4 million barrels at storage facilities near Ceyhan, he said.
Officials from Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization weren't immediately available to comment.