Loading of Iraqi Kirkuk crude onto tankers at the Turkish port of Ceyhan has been halted for more than two weeks due to a leak on the pipeline and a lack of oil in storage, shipping and trading sources said on Monday.

Oil pumping through the pipeline from Iraq to Ceyhan stopped on June 21. The flow is often interrupted and typically, tanker loadings can continue for a few days using oil stored at Ceyhan, maintaining supplies to the Mediterranean market.

But exports of Kirkuk crude stopped at around the same time as the pipeline flow as there was not enough oil in storage to enable tankers to load, the sources said. The last tanker sailed on June 22.

Flow through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline will resume within two to three days, two sources in the state-run North Oil Company said on Monday. – Reuters