The expansion of export facilities near the key southern port of Basra has been delayed after stormy weather prevented the installation of a metering platform at Basra oil terminal last week.
Exports from southern ports are expected to fall in December due to the anticipated delay in tying the central metering platform to sub-sea pipelines from onshore pumping stations, partly due to the weather delays. Iraqi state oil marketer SOMO’s loading program suggests exports will fall by around 300,000 b/d compared to November, partly because one single point mooring buoy remains shut as the expansion work is completed. Basra accounts for the vast bulk of Iraq’s official crude exports – 89% of the total for the first 10 months of 2013 (2.14mn b/d out of 2.40mn b/d). (CONTINUED - 1639 WORDS)
