Iraq has resumed crude oil exports via its northern pipeline to Turkey 's Ceyhan port after a brief suspension caused by at least one blast on the pipeline inside Turkey , an Iraqi oil ministry spokesman said Thursday.

Assem Jihad said exports were resumed via the pipeline which links Kirkuk oil field to the Mediterranean port at midday local time Thursday at their "normal" pace. Iraq usually pumps between 400,000 and 500,000 barrels a day via the pipeline.

A shipping agent in Ceyhan, however, couldn't immediately confirm that the flow was resumed. "So far I haven't received information that the pumping is resumed," the agent said.

Jihad said the pipeline was sabotaged by unknown attackers some 70 kilometers north of the Iraq-Turkey border.

Analysts blame Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, for the attack as fighting between the Turkish army and the PKK has escalated in recent months.

Jihad said that Turkish authorities were able to extinguish the fire and divert the flow to a parallel line.

Loading operations of Iraqi crude from Ceyhan weren't affected as there were reserves already at the port, a source at the Iraqi North Oil Co. said.
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