First Oil Tanker Docks At Ceyhan, Turkey Following Massive Earthquake
A tanker was reportedly docked at the Ceyhan oil export hub in Turkey on Tuesday for loading Iraqi crude oil, the first since a set of earthquakes hit on Monday, vessel tracking data and a trading source mentioned.
Poor weather earlier in the day prevented loading. A massive earthquake, which struck Syria and Turkey early on Monday, paused operations at Ceyhan and halted critical crude oil flows from Azerbaijan and Iraq.
Based on ship tracking data, the Vallesina was reportedly seen on Tuesday evening at a jetty at the Botas Ceyhan terminal (per local time). A trading source mentioned that the vessel was given clearance to start loading from storage.
In the meantime, Iraq’s crude oil pipeline to Ceyhan port in Turkey was still paused, an industry familiar with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) oil operations informed.
The pipeline will likely resume its flows to Ceyhan late on Tuesday or Wednesday, per a source associated with the Iraqi oil ministry.
The Nordlotus and Alfa Baltica tankers had been waiting for Ceyhan’s Azeri crude BTC terminal to open up in that area.
The BTC terminal is not expected to resume until 8 or 9 February, per trading and shipping sources, as damages at the terminal were being examined.
Two sources with knowledge explained that the BTC pipeline is working and continues transporting oil to Ceyhan.
The sources mentioned that oil production at the BP-spearheaded Azeri–Chirag–Gunashli assignment in Azerbaijan continues.
References: Bloomberg, Reuters
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