Iraq Defuses Mine Attached to Oil Tanker
A mine that was attached to the hull of an Iraqi oil tanker was defused two days after it was discovered, Iraq's military said in a statement on Saturday.The tanker was in international waters about 28 nautical miles (52 km) off Iraq's coast in the Gulf and supplying another ship with fuel when the device was discovered on Thursday afternoon.An investigation has been opened to find out the circumstances of the incident.The military said on Friday that it was not immediately clear how the mine was attached to the tankerā¦
Heavy Iraq Crude Has Limited Appeal for US Gulf Coast Buyers
Sellers of a new grade of Iraqi oil are competing fiercely to win market share on the U.S. Gulf Coast, though high sulfur content has limited appeal for refiners of the crude, known as Basra Heavy. Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) began selling the crude with an API gravity of about 23 degrees in May after separating it from the Basra Light stream to resolve quality and consistency issues and reach new customers. The first shipments of Basra Heavy to the U.S. Gulf Coast were modest. They peaked in October at nearly 2.5 million barrels, then plunged 80 percent in November. December arrivals have also been low, according to Reuters vessel tracking data.
Kurdistan defies Baghdad in Crude Oil Sale
Move likely to infuriate Iraqi government in Baghdad; first 1 million barrel cargo being loaded at Ceyhan, Turkey. Tanker scheduled to sail later on Thursday, buyer not identified. Iraqi Kurdistan started loading oil from its new pipeline for shipment from a Turkish port on Thursday, defying the Baghdad government, which claims sole authority over Iraqi crude and declares any independently sold oil as 'smuggled'. The cargo of 1 million barrels of crude oil was being loaded on a tanker in the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told Reuters on Thursday. "Loading will be completed today," Yildiz said, declining to name the buyer.
Detention of Ships Smuggling Oil from Iraq
The U.S. Maritime Liaison Office (MARLO) in Bahrain issued an Advisory stating that the coalition leadership in Iraq is in the process of establishing procedures for detention and possible confiscation of ships, and for legal action against the participants, involved in smuggling oil from Iraq. Only oil legally purchased from the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) is authorized for export. Any ship transporting illegal Iraqi oil is subject to seizure and detention by coalition naval forces. The vessel may be subject to forfeiture in accordance with Iraqi law. Legal action may also be taken against ship owners, operators, and others involved in the smuggling. MARLO Advisory Bulletin 24-03 Source: HK Law
Crude Flows Again At Ceyhan
Iraqi crude oil exports were flowing again at the Turkish port of Ceyhan, where the second vessel this year was finishing lifting and three new cargoes were expected to turn up soon, industry sources said. The sources said the Marina M, which recently replaced the earlier chartered Seadancer, has just about finished lifting one million barrels of Kirkuk crude and the two million barrel Amazon Falcon is already berthed and waiting. Three new vessels are also expected before month's end, with the one-million-barrel Crudesky due to arrive on January 27, and two very large crude carriers (VLCCs) -- the Orient Tiger and the Front Champion -- seen on the 28th and 29th, the sources said.
