Iraqi oil flows to continue via Turkey’s Ceyhan as renewal deal is discussed

Ceyhan petroleum operations field. Photo: BOTAS Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Turkish sources told Reuters that crude oil shipments from northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan will continue while the two countries seek an arrangement to extend the pipeline’s operation for another 12 months. On July 27, a bilateral agreement that had been in place for decades ended. Despite expectations, Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi did not sign a 12-month renewal deal during his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday. According to a Turkish official, oil flows via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, which is Baghdad’s only operational export pipeline, will continue while negotiations for a renewal deal are still in progress. Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar recently announced a 12-month extension agreement between the two countries. During a joint press conference in Ankara, Erdogan stated on Tuesday that Turkey hopes to finalize a comprehensive energy cooperation agreement as soon as possible. An extension is intended to provide additional time for discussions on a complete accord. Turkey aims to fully utilize the 1.5 million barrels per day pipeline and consider expanding it to oil fields in southern Iraq. Turkish data suggests that the pipeline currently transports approximately 170,000 barrels per day.