Saboteurs have attacked about 20 oil pipelines in
southern Iraq, reducing exports from the key oil producing region by at
least one third, a top oil official said Thursday. The cluster of
pipelines was attacked late Wednesday in Berjasiya, 20 miles southwest
of the southern city of Basra, an official with the state-run South Oil
Co. said on condition of anonymity. The pipelines, which connect the
Rumeila oil fields to Berjasiya, were still ablaze Thursday. Associated
Press Television News footage showed huge plumes of black smoke and
flames leaping from the Zubayr 1 pumping station, south of Basra.
Emergency workers struggled to douse the fires with water hoses. Oil
exports out of southern Iraq average about 1.85 million barrels a day.
The oil official said Wednesday's sabotage cut exports to 1.2 million
barrels. [more ]
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