Iraq has resumed pumping crude oil from the Kirkuk oil fields in the north of the country to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan in Turkey after a halt that lasted 25 days, a Middle East shipping agent said Tuesday.

"They started pumping crude oil from Kirkuk to Ceyhan at 0230 local time today and the flow is continuing up to now," the shipping agent told The Wall Street Journal.

He said that Iraq is pumping an average of 20,000 barrels an hour, or 480,000 barrels a day. Oil in storage has so far reached some 250,000 barrels, he added.

There are eight vessels anchored in Ceyhan waiting for loading, and a ninth is expected to arrive in the port in two days, the agent said.

Pumping through the pipeline has been on hold since June 21 due to a leak in the pipeline in Iraq .

Iraq normally exports 350,000 to 400,000 barrels a day but sabotage to the pipeline over the last few months, as well as technical problems, has reduced the flow. Last month, Iraq exported 193,000 barrels a day via the pipeline, which was less than the average due to damage to the pipeline by unknown attackers.
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