Iraq's oil sector still limping two years after war

[NNN0LHI]

http://cbsnewyork.com/international/IraqEconomy-Oil-Glanc-ai/resources_news_html

In the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, where the air smells of crude and bright gas flares illuminate the night sky, the vast potential of Iraq's oil industry and its failures are on dramatic display.

Ever since drillers unleashed a 50-foot oil gusher near the city in 1927, Iraq has been too unstable to take full advantage of its bounty.

This year, as happened last year, almost none of Kirkuk's oil will reach the international market.

Incessant sabotage of the northern oil pipeline by insurgents has all but sealed it off from its export terminal in Turkey. Before the U.S.-led invasion, the line handled around 750,000 barrels a day.

more

[leftchick]

1. Iraq Pipeline watch....this site really puts the Iraq OIL Failure into

perspective....

http://www.iags.org/iraqpipelinewatch.htm

<snip>

200. Fabruary 5 - attack on a cluster of eight pipelines west of Samarra connecting the Bayji and Daura refineries.
201. February 6 - attack on pipeline carrying crude oil from Kirkuk to Bayji.
202. February 9 - attack on a gas pipeline before dawn in Fatha, about 15 miles north of Bayji.
203. February 9 - rocket attack on a pipeline linking Kirkuk to Bayji.
204. February 13 - 10:00pm attack on oil pipeline at the al-Dibbis oil field 31 miles north of Kirkuk.
205. February 14 - another attack on oil pipeline at al-Dibbis.
206. February 16 - attack on pipeline carrying crude from Kirkuk to Bayji near Fatha.
207. February 16 - attack on pipeline carrying crude from Kirkuk to Daura refinery.
208. February 16 - another attack on pipeline near Fatha.
209. February 16 - attack on pipeline in the Bajwan area, northwest of Kirkuk.
210. February 16 - gunmen killed Colonel Ibrahim Ahmed in charge of pipeline security. The killing took place at Ajeel west of Kirkuk.
211. February 25 - late night attack on a pipeline connecting the Dibbis oil fields with Kirkuk.
212. March 2 - 10pm attack on gas pipeline to Bayji near Al-Safra 30 miles west of Kirkuk caused the shutdown of two of the Bayji power station's four turbines.
213. March 3 - attack on a gas pipeline that links Kirkuk to Dibbis.
214. March 7 - attack on pipeline near Samarra, 60 miles northwest of Baghdad.
215. March 8 - 1pm attack on oil pipeline feeding Al-Daura refinery near Jorf al-Sakhr, 35 miles south of Baghdad.
216. March 9 - attack on oil pipeline feeding the Daura refinery in Jorf al-Sakhr, 46 miles south of Baghdad.
217. March 12 - attack on oil pipeline connecting Bayji and Daura in Al-Tharthar, near Samarra.
218. March 12 - Rocket-propelled grenades were launched at a pipeline running from Kirkuk to Daura.
219. March 15 - attack on oil pipeline in Fatha which carries crude from Kirkuk to Bayji.

... and these are just the documented attacks!

[rockedthevoteinMA]

3. Holy crap. Guess Wolfie and Dumbya's plans didn't work out so

well. :wow: I knew it was bad, but I didn't know how bad.

[Jacobin]

6. Wow. Interesting website!!

Guess the MSM just isn't reporting all the 'good news' .....er, well, er,.....

Pretty incredible the strength of the resistance. Seems clear to me that those who are leading the resistance will end up being those who rise to power after the puppet government is overthrown.

[concord]

7. Thanks for this

I was recently asked what was going on with the Iraqi oil. I'd *assumed* they were having trouble securing it. I had no idea how much.

[sasquatch]

2. BULLSHIT!!

The BCF ordered our military to take over and guard the Oil Ministry from day one once they reached Baghdad.

[Jacobin]

5. Doesn't look like it worked too well

I tell my RW friends....It would be cheaper to buy the oil than to steal it. They have nothing to say in response.

[Geo55]

4. They'll get the prize yet.....

"The IMF predicts Iraqi production won't reach 3.5 million barrels until 2009."

They'll be guardin' every square inch of "our" pipeline by then....
can you say, PEAK OIL ?

They'll have your Grandma out on guard duty.

[guitar man]

8. So Bu$h

...can't even manage to strike oil in Iraq and bring it home. Truly pathetic he is.

[cornfedyank]

9. who was the guy that said $1 billion would be the cost?

he said it on "nightline".

[struggle4progress]

10. kick