Kirkuk, Nov 03: A blast ripped a hole in a main fuel pipeline near the oil-rich city of Kirkuk today, but oil officials and Iraqi police averted a much bigger explosion at the same site. Saboteurs detonated a pipeline running from the Janbur North oil fields to Kirkuk, 35 km away, northern oil company official Saeq Jaburi told reporters.
"Some people had planted the bombs on a section of the pipeline. The explosion ripped a hole in the fuel line," he said. "It was not followed by a fire."
While inspecting the site, engineers found a huge amount of explosives rigged to go off, including sticks of dynamite.
"They were ready to explode at any moment."
Kirkuk's oil fields and pipelines have been hit by sabotage repeatedly since June, effectively cutting off all fuel exports from northern Iraq.
Bureau Report