Iraq forces deploy at Kurdistan oil pipeline

ERBIL, October 23, 2017 – Iraq’s armed forces have sent artillery and tanks to an area where the Kurdistan Crude Export Pipeline is located, international media reported on Monday.

Iraqi security forces were also said to have built up a presence at land crossings to Turkey and Syria, sources told Reuters.

Flows from the pipeline were reported to be down to as low as 200,000 bpd over the weekend, but on Monday had risen to 255,000 bpd.

A meeting between Iraqi and Russian officials in which the Kurdistan Region’s oil assets would be discussed was to be held on Monday, but no official statement has been released yet. The meeting comes in the wake of an announcement by Rosneft that it would take over operatorship of the Kurdistan Crude Export Pipeline.

In a separate meeting between the Iraqi and Russian foreign ministers, Russia stated its support for dialogue between Kurdish and Iraqi officials and expressed its “commitment and respect to Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

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