Turkey and Iraq Extend Oil Pipeline Deal, Ensuring Continued Exports
Turkey and Iraq have reached an agreement to extend an expired oil pipeline deal by one year, allowing continued crude oil exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. This pipeline, which stretches 986 kilometers from Kirkuk to Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route often affected by geopolitical tensions. The interim agreement secures a reserved export capacity of up to 750,000 barrels per day, contingent on security improvements and infrastructure developments in Iraq. The Turkish Energy Ministry has not commented on the deal, but Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar confirmed the flow capacity. This extension follows a history of disruptions, including a legal dispute resolved by the International Court of Arbitration, which ordered Turkey to pay Iraq $1.5 billion for unauthorized oil shipments.