The Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, also known as the Iraq–Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline, is a 600 mi pipeline that runs from Kirkuk in Iraq to Ceyhan in Turkey. It is Iraq's largest crude oil export line.

Technical description

The pipeline consists of two pipes with diameters of 46 in and 40 in and designed capacity of 1100 barrels respectively. Usable capacity of the line is believed to be only 300 barrels, with significant repairs still required.

Incidents of sabotage

The line's Iraqi part has been a principal sabotage target since 2003. On 26 October 2009, the blast near Mosul halted oil supplies through the pipeline. On 16 August 2013, at around 0100 GMT near the al-Shura area 60 km to the south of the city of Mosul a bomb attack damaged the pipeline. On 3 September 2013, at around 0200 GMT near Ein al-Jahash area, a bomb attack damaged the pipeline.

Pipeline

In 2013, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq completed a pipeline from the Taq Taq oil field through Khurmala (the northwest sector dome of the greater Kirkuk field) and Dahuk to Pesh Khabur (Fesh Khabur) on the Turkey-Iraq border, where it is connected to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. This 36 in diameter pipeline has capacity of 150000 oilbbl/d. It allows the export of oil from the Taq Taq and Tawke oil fields. On 23 May 2014, the Kurdistan Regional Government announced that the first oil transported via the new pipeline was loaded into a tanker at Ceyhan. In March 2023, the International Chamber of Commerce ruled that the pumping agreement between the Kurdistan Region and the Turkish government was illegal, causing the pumping of petroleum products to and from the Kurdistan Region to cease.

New pipeline proposal

In 2014 Iraq was considering building a new Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline to bypass attack-prone areas and double the export capacity.