Iraq: Technical obstacles delay resumption of oil exports to Jordan

Baghdad, October 12 (KUNA) -- The Iraqi Ministry of Oil said on Monday that technical obstacles are preventing the resumption of Iraqi crude oil exports to Jordan, which have been halted since the beginning of this year. Iraqi News Agency quoted ministry spokesperson Salim al-Rukabi as saying that the suspension of exports is due to considerations related to crude oil specifications and their suitability for Jordanian refineries. Al-Rukabi clarified that Jordanian refineries had previously been supplied with light crude oil from the Kirkuk field, which was well-suited to their operational characteristics, but this type of oil is no longer available for export. He added that Iraq had offered to supply Jordan with medium crude oil from Basra as a substitute for the light Kirkuk crude, but the Jordanian side indicated that its refineries could not process this type of oil. Iraq had been exporting light crude oil from Kirkuk to Jordan until the end of last year at a price equivalent to the monthly average of Brent crude, minus a discount of $16 per barrel. (End) A.H.H. / M.A.K.