Oil flow through one of the two pipelines that carry Iraqi crude to the Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean came to a halt following an explosion on the pipeline on Thursday.
Quoting energy officials, Turkish media reported that the blast did not cause any damage to the other pipeline which continued to transit crude from the Kirkuk area of Iraq unhindered. A Turkish security official said there were three simultaneous explosions at separate points along the pipeline in the Idil area of Turkey's Sirnak province close to the Iraqi border.
What caused the blasts was yet to be ascertained, but sabotage is frequent on oil and gas pipelines leading into Turkey from neighboring Iran and Iraq, where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) operate.
The pipeline with a capacity of 1.6 million barrels per day has always been a target as it transits a quarter of Iraq's crude exports from the northern Kirkuk oilfield to Ceyhan.
Turkish firemen were still battling the flames and repairs may take days, the reports added.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.