| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Erosion of main pipeline stops IraqÂ’s oil exports through Turkey |
| 2011-10-03 |
| KIRKUK / Aswat al-Iraq: Iraq’s oil exports through the main oil pipeline, carrying Iraqi crude through Turkey, has stopped entirely, due to leakage, caused by erosion of the of the main line close to Salahal-Din Province, a source at Iraq’s North Oil Company in Kirkuk reported on Thursday. “Oil exports stopped from Kirkuk since Wednesday morning, across the Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline, because of a case of leakage of crude oil from the main line," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency, noting that the "leakage happened at the limits of Shirqat township of the province of Salahal-Din." He said that technicians were sent to the scene to replace the eroded part of the oil pipeline. He pointed out that "the quantity produced from Kirkuk oil fields before the suspension of exports was up to 600,000 barrels per day, while the exported quantities reached between 400,000 to 450,000 barrels per day." |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #6 The pipeline is a prime example of why the Saudis are paying so many ex-pats so much money each month to maintain all of that very expensive military equipment that they have purchased over the years. Otherwise, it is junk within a few years with Arabs working on it. |
| Posted by: Shieldwolf 2011-10-03 18:35 |
| #5 I used to do a fair amount of non-destructive testing when I was in the construction biz. I would generally see erosion at 90-degree bends. I would think a high pressure oil pipeline would have very few 90-degree bends though. Never really noticed it at lesser bends, but at the flow rate and pressure they are running, yeah, I guess it could. But like Tipover said, a little maintenance would go a long way on that. Maybe they need British Petroleum to come back in. |
| Posted by: bigjim-CA 2011-10-03 11:54 |
| #4 I see leakage from corrosion quite often. Also from collapse, impacts, & other external trauma. But have yet to see leakage of a main line from erosion - wells can frequently produce sand along with the oil, and can 'sand-blast' holes in flowlines close to the wells, but sand is supposed to be removed before it reaches main pipelines, and if it does get there, it settles out in the line and plugs it up rather than eroding it, because the velocities are a lot less. Perhaps this is a translation issue. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2011-10-03 07:41 |
| #3 this could be a hit by an Iranian-bribed tribesman since Iran wants to send turkey a message that Iran is displeased with: - Turkey's anti Assad policy - Turkey's placement of a NATO radar on the Iran side of turkey |
| Posted by: Lord Garth 2011-10-03 07:25 |
| #2 ION ANKARA, TOPIX > EXPERT: AZERBAIJAN WILL SUPPORT TURKEY IN ISRAELI-TURKISH [milpol]CONFLICT. and * SAME > ERDOGAN: TURKEY IS SLAVE TO FIVE PERMANENT SEAT MEMBERS [UNSC]. * SAME > EXPRTS: NORTH CYPRUS + AZERBAIJAN PART OF TURKISH UNION. Greater Pan-Turkic Union = State as desired by Ottoman-resurgent Turkey. * SAME > IRAN, TURKEY STILL ALLIES, BUT IRAN DOMINATES. Turkey at present is "nuthin but a thwang" as per Iran's larger regional + geopol pro-Islamist, Shia agendum, hence Iran can discard Turkey anytime it pleases. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-10-03 01:30 |
| #1 Routine maintenance anyone? Might not translate to an Arab dialect. |
| Posted by: tipover 2011-10-03 00:22 |