Iraq calls on Kurds to link new pipeline
Baghdad, September 25, 2013
Iraq's central government has asked the autonomous Kurdish region to connect its new oil pipeline with one from Kirkuk to Ceyhan in Turkey in a way that allows Baghdad to measure crude flows, Iraq's deputy prime minister for energy affairs said.
Kurdistan is expected to complete the new 300,000 barrel per day (bpd) oil pipeline to Turkey in the next few weeks, increasing the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) control over its resources in a dispute with Baghdad.
"We have asked the KRG to connect it to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline before the pumping station so that we can meter exactly how much crude has been pumped," Hussain Al Shahristani said.
Earlier, ExxonMobil angered Iraq by signing contracts with Kurdistan for the exploration and development of six blocks in 2011.-Reuters