Iraq pumps 430,000bpd oil to Turkey

Iraq was pumping around 430,000 barrels per day of Kirkuk crude to Turkey through its pipeline and has sustained the flow uninterrupted for a month, a shipping agent said on Thursday.

Iraq has boosted exports through the line since last summer. The line had been mostly idle since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 due to sabotage attacks and technical faults.

"They are pumping at around 18,000 barrels an hour," said the shipping agent. "It has been unchanged for some time."

Kirkuk oil in storage at the Turkish terminal of Ceyhan stood at around 5.4 million barrels, he added.

Iraq's state oil marketing firm SOMO has offered additional crude to buyers for April as storage at the terminal fills up.

Ceyhan has capacity to store 8 million barrels of Kirkuk crude. (Reuters)