Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline


The Kirkuk–Ceyhan Oil Pipeline, also known as the Iraq–Turkey Crude Oil Pipeline, is a 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 two pipes with diameters of and and designed capacity of respectively. Usable capacity of the line is believed to be only, 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.

Kurdistan Pipeline

In 2013, the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq completed a pipeline from the Taq Taq field through Khurmala and Dahuk to Pesh Khabur on the Turkey-Iraq border, where it is connected to the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. This diameter pipeline has capacity of. 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.

New pipeline proposal

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