Oil Pipeline in Northern Iraq Sabotaged

Saboteurs blew up an oil pipeline and an oil well in northern Iraq in two attacks Tuesday that shut down oil exports from the north, probably for the next 10 days, Iraqi oil officials said. Late Tuesday night, a huge explosion rocked the compound of Ghabaza oil field, 22 miles southwest of Kirkuk, said an official with the state-run Northern Oil Co. The oil valves were blown up and huge fire engulfed the area, the source added. The attack on the Ghabaza well will likely cut into the country's oil production, an engineer with the state-owned North Oil Co. told Dow Jones. "This evening, an act of sabotage took place against one of our key oil wells, and that will reduce our crude oil production from the north," the engineer said, without saying how much output would be hurt. Earlier in the day, saboteurs blew up an oil pipeline in northern Iraq that is used for export purposes, oil officials said. The officials said the stoppage could last for as long as 10 days. The pipeline, which connects the oil fields in Kirkuk with the Beiji refinery, was attacked at 10 a.m., said Col. Mohammed Ahmed of the Northern Oil protection services. Firefighters battled to put out the fire some 44 miles southwest of Kirkuk. Oil is being diverted to domestic refineries while repairs are carried out on the pipeline. [more]

• Pictured above: Fire fighters battle the flames following an explosion along a pipeline close to Kirkuk. Bombs ripped through three sections of oil pipeline in northern Iraq. [more]