  |
|
Iraq's northern oil center in flames after attack
AFP
KIRKUK, Iraq
Petroleumworld.com 11 28 06Iraq's main northern oil distribution center was in flames after two mortar shells landed on it Monday night, an official with the Northern Oil Company said.
The massive fire continued to burn despite efforts by the US army, Iraqi army and civil defense brigades to put it out, he added.
A huge fire was visible from the nearby city of Kirkuk.
"This is the first time this installation has been attacked with such force," said the official, who would not reveal the extent of the damage or whether pumping had ceased.
The station is responsible for regulating the flow of crude oil from the country's rich northern oil fields around the city of Kirkuk.
Insurgents have regularly attacked the pipelines in the north, interrupting the flow of crude oil to the Baiji refinery and the export pipeline to Turkey, but generally left the pumping infrastructure alone.
Exports from the northern fields only resumed in October after a hiatus of several months due to sabotage and was pumping 250,000-300,000 barrels per day.
Most of Iraq's oil production, some two million bpd, comes from the south, although international experts agree that the northern fields are underdeveloped and could produce much more.
AFP 27 1619 GMT 11 06
Copyright© 2001 AFP. All Rights Reserved.
Your
feedback is important to us!
We invite all our readers to share with us
their views and comments about this article.
Write to editor@petroleumworld.com
Any
question or suggestions, please write to:
editor@petroleumworld.com
Best
Viewed with IE
5.01+
Windows
NT 4.0, '95, '98 and ME +/ 800x600 pixels