Iraq north oil exports sharply cut by attacks

Each well at the Khabbaz field was producing 10,000-15,000 bpd and the storage facility was also damaged, the oficial said.

"This could take more than a month to repair," he added.

Oil has also been diverted for domestic use after a sabotage attack on a domestic pipeline south of Mosul transporting oil from the Ain Zala field.

Oil Ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said last time an oil well had been blown up, it had taken 45 days to put out the blaze at a cost of $2.5 million.

The north usually produces around 700,000 bpd out of Iraq's output of 2.6 million bpd. Iraq also has been exporting about 1.6 million bpd from its southern Gulf ports.

Sabotage against oil facilities in the north has intensified as U.S. forces mounted an offensive to retake the Sunni Muslim city of Falluja from insurgents.

Insurgents have mounted attacks against U.S.-backed government forces in the oil centers of Kirkuk and Baiji over the last few days, and threatened guards protecting the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

The main export pipeline that runs from the Baiji oil refinery north past Mosul to the Turkish port of Ceyhan is a major artery in Iraq's oil infrastructure.

http://www.arabtimesonline.com/arabtimes/breakingnews/view.asp?msgID=7502

aboteurs today triggered an explosion on a gas pipeline in northern Iraq, setting off a fire which was still burning hours later, oil officials said.

The blast occurred in the Riyadh region, some 38 miles south-west of Kirkuk, along the gas pipeline that runs from Kirkuk to the power station in Beiji, a Northern Oil official said.

Oil officials said they would need four days to repair the pipeline.

Insurgents frequently target the country’s gas and oil infrastructure, which provides much needed revenue for reconstruction efforts in Iraq.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3763668

Oil well fire out of control
From correspondents in Kirkuk
November 15, 2004

SABOTEURS have set fire to four oil wells in Iraq's northern fields.

Successive explosions had rocked the four wells in Khabbaza, 20km northwest of Kirkuk, the state-run Northern Oil Co said today.

"The fire is out of control and the attack on the four wells will definitely affect the oil production," an official said.

Iraq's oil industry, which provides desperately needed money for Iraq's reconstruction efforts, has been the target of repeated attacks by insurgents in recent months.

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11389261%255E1702,00.html

KIRKUK (AFP) - Saboteurs blew up a section of an oil pipeline in the northern region of Kirkuk, while flames raged in four oil wells after a string of bombings the previous day, officials said.

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The secondary pipeline carrying oil to refineries in the city of Baiji was bombed at around 3:00 am (0000 GMT) about 60 kilometres (37 miles) west of Kirkuk, said police officer Sahim Mohammed.

The attack triggered a huge blaze, but firefighters kept away because rebels had warned of dire consequences if they intervened, he said.

Hitting Iraq where it hurts the most, attackers detonated four bombs near oil wells in Al-Khabbaza oil field near Kirkuk on Sunday. Flames were still burning fiercely on Monday, said a security officer for oil installations.

"The wells are still on fire, after they were attacked yesterday by a group of 30-40 saboteurs who set up explosives in a number of oil wells to the west of Kirkuk," said Major Hammodi Ali.

"Four wells were set on fire and as far as we know, there are some other wells with bombs not exploded yet," he told AFP. "This is the first time, the Al-Khabbaza oil field has been targeted since the (US-led) invasion."

Oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad condemned the act of sabotage against Iraq's vital oil industry, which generates more than 90 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

"Such attacks are inflicting harm on the Iraqi economy, as huge sums of money will be spent on putting out the fire, in addition to the fact that large amounts of crude oil are usually wasted," he said.

http://www.sierratimes.com/rss/newswire.php?article=/afp/20041115/wl_mideast_afp/iraq_oil_sabotage&time=1100525868&feed=iraq

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Insurgents set fire to a storage tank at an oil pumping station along Iraq's main export pipeline to Turkey Monday and also attacked four oil wells west of Kirkuk, setting them ablaze, witnesses said.

Reuters television pictures showed huge flames and thick black smoke pouring into the air at the pumping station about 25 miles southwest of Mosul, in Iraq's far north.

Officials said last week that the line was pumping at about 500,000 barrels per day, but officials at Iraq's Northern Oil Company would not comment on pumping rates Monday.

Witnesses said at least one of several storage tanks at the pumping station, near the town of Ain al-Jehash, was on fire.

The oil wells, about 30 km west of Iraq's major oil producing city of Kirkuk, were also alight. It was not clear how long they had been burning.

Saboteurs and insurgents have repeatedly attacked Iraq's oil infrastructure in order to disrupt efforts at reconstruction and block potential revenue from oil exports.

The main export pipeline that runs from the Baiji oil refinery north past Mosul to the Turkish port of Ceyhan is a major artery in Iraq's oil infrastructure.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/15/news/international/iraq_fires.reut/

TAJI, Iraq There's word that militants have attacked an oil pipeline just north of Baghdad.
Witnesses report flames and heavy black smoke rising high into the sky. The pipeline carries crude oil to a refinery in the Iraqi capital.

Five U-S helicopters have been hovering nearby. But no Iraqi security forces or firefighters have been spotted at the scene of the fire.

Witnesses say insurgents have virtually taken control of the town of Taji, which is about 12 miles north of Baghdad. They say militants have been distributing leaflets warning people not to leave their houses or open their shops.

http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=2561251