Ever since exports of ‘Kirkuk’ crude from northern Iraq resumed in September, industry figures have raised concerns over a mismatch between the contractually specified API (36°) of the oil and the API of the crude delivered (MEES, 24 October).
The historic basis of the grade is in the giant Kirkuk field, which produces crude oil of up to 36° API, but most of that field’s crude is now being refined domestically. Instead, the bulk of the crude being exported by Somo comes from IOC-operated fields in Kurdistan such as the 80,000 b/d Tawke (28° API) and the 40,000 b/d Shaikan (18° API), with only a few contributors of lighter crude such as the 30,000 b/d Sarsang (37-39° API). (CONTINUED - 291 WORDS)