IRAQ: CRUDE OIL EXPORTS ARE NOT RESUMED FROM CEYHAN TERMINAL AND MINA AL-BAKR DURING LATEST PRICING DISPUTE WITH THE UNITED NATIONS

Record ID: 344968

  • Title: IRAQ: CRUDE OIL EXPORTS ARE NOT RESUMED FROM CEYHAN TERMINAL AND MINA AL-BAKR DURING LATEST PRICING DISPUTE WITH THE UNITED NATIONS
  • Date: 5th December 2000
  • Summary: BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 3, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV AD-DOURA OIL REFINERY SCENES (5 SHOTS) 0.20 2. MV NEWS CONFERENCE 0.24 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) IRAQI OIL OIL MINISTER AMIR MOHAMMED RASHEED AT NEWS CONFERENCE SAYING: "The American position with support of British have resulted in termination of Iraqi oil export to the oil market, we would like to emphasise that Iraq has put the price mechanism from its own vision to the World oil market to guarantee the flow of its oil and the flow of its oil tankers to its ports and after consultations with some of our important oil purchasers." 1.00 BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 4, 2000) (REUTERS) 4. SLV NEWSPAPER STAND; SCU MAN READING NEWSPAPER; SCU NEWSPAPER HEADLINES (4 SHOTS) 1.16 BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 3, 2000) (REUTERS) 5. (SOUNDBITE)(Arabic) IRAQI MP ADEL ABDUL-WAHID SAYING "We as representatives of the people, we support this step, and back up our command to stop the flow of oil whose revenues go in contrary to our wishes and desire." 1.28 BAGHDAD, IRAQ (DECEMBER 4, 2000) (REUTERS) 6. SLV EXTERIOR HOTEL 1.32 7. MV UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATOR TUN MYAT WALKING DOWN CORRIDOR 1.35 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATOR TUN MYAT SAYING: "I would hope that this is a temporary halt and I hope that every thing would be resumed very soon." 1.41 9. SLV EXTERIOR HOTEL 1.44 10. (SOUNDBITE)(English)TUN MYAT SAYING "I think the effects are quite obvious, and I would hope that, as I said earlier, I am still thinking that this be a temporary stop. The Security Council meets today in New York for the next Phase and I am hopeful that within the next week or ten days, everything will go back to normal." 2.02 11. SCU MYAT GETTING INTO HIS CAR GOING TO THE U.N. HQ (2 SHOTS) 2.18 12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEPUTY U.N. HUMANITARIAN CO-ORDINATOR FOR IRAQ JOHN ALMSTROM SAYING: "Well I would say there continues to be a lot of humanitarian needs in Iraq, and there is no difference in north or the west of the Country." 2.27 13. MV ALMSTROM GETTING INTO HIS CAR AND DEPARTING (2 SHOTS) 2.43 16. SLV STREET SCENES; FOOD MARKET; MV SHOPKEEPER DISTRIBUTING FOOD RATIONS TO PEOPLE (8 SHOTS) 3.25 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BAGHDAD, IRAQ
  • Country: Iraq
  • Reuters ID: LVA5UMZDIJFA55NA6T7USS2VTNEL
  • Story Text: Iraq has not resumed crude oil exports from its
    outlets at Ceyhan terminal and Mina al-Bakr in the Gulf in its
    latest dispute with the United Nations (UN) over pricing,
    industry sources said on Monday (December 4).

    In Baghdad UN officials said they hoped that Iraq would
    resume its oil exports soon. The U.N. Security Council is due
    to discuss Iraq's suspension of it's exports and Baghdad's
    demands for a surcharge of 50 cent a barrel outside the terms
    of the oil-for-food deal.

    Oil industry sources in London said on Monday
    (December 4) that Iraq was again piping oil to Ceyhan in
    Turkey but there were no signs that Baghdad was resuming its
    crude exports.

    Iraqi crude exports ground to a halt on Friday (December
    1) after Baghdad insisted that buyers of its crude pay a
    surcharge outside the terms of the United Nations oil-for-food
    programme.

    Iraq has asked the United Nations to deduct 1.5 euros a
    barrel from the official selling price of its crude to put
    into an account outside U.N. control to cover production
    costs. Iraq's Oil Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed said on
    Sunday (December 3) that 600 million euros could be put aside
    from that request under the current six-month phase of the
    oil-for-food deal.

    He said Baghdad had asked the world body to deposit the
    money in an account, "outside the control of any international
    organisation that belongs to the (U.N.) Security Council to
    meet local costs such as operations, services and salaries".

    Rasheed said the Iraqi request was supported by Iraq's
    "friends at the 661 (U.N. sanctions) Committee", in clear
    reference to Russia, France and China, at the Security
    Council.

    "But the Americans (on the committee) want to control such
    an account."
    U.N. rules require revenue from Iraqi oil sales to go into
    an account in New York, where Iraqi purchases must be approved
    by the U.N. Sanctions Committee as part of the oil- for-food
    programme.

    Iraq has also asked its crude oil buyers to pay a
    surcharge of 50 cent a barrel outside the terms of the oil
    deal. This led to a halt in Iraqi oil exports from Friday.

    Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed addressing a news
    conference said, "The American position with support of
    British have resulted in termination of Iraqi oil export to
    the oil market, we would like to emphasise that Iraq has put
    the price mechanism from its own vision to the World oil
    market to guarantee the flow of its oil and the flow of its
    oil tankers to its ports and after consultations with some of
    our important oil purchasers."
    Iraqi MP Adel Abdul-Wahid believes that locals support the
    move. "We as representatives of the people, we support this
    step, and back up our command to stop the flow of oil whose
    revenues go in contrary to our wishes and desire," he said.

    Speaking from Baghdad UN Co-ordinator Tun Myat said he
    hoped that it was a temporary halt and that, "everything would
    be resumed very soon."
    "The Security Council meets today in New York for the next
    Phase and I am hopeful that within the next week or ten days,
    everything will go back to normal," he added.

    Deputy UN Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Iraq John
    Almstrom voiced his concern that humanitarian concerns remain
    in the north and west of the country.

    The oil programme allows Iraq to sell crude on the open
    market and, under strict U.N. control, use the proceeds to buy
    food, medicines and other supplies to alleviate the impact of
    sanctions imposed when Baghdad invaded Kuwait in August 1990.


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