Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline

The Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline (also known as the Iraq–Haifa pipeline or Mediterranean pipeline) was a crude oil pipeline from the oil fields in Kirkuk, located in the former Ottoman vilayet of Mosul in northern Iraq, through Transjordan to Haifa in mandatory Palestine (now in the territory of Israel). The pipeline was operational between 1935 and 1948. Its length was about 942 kilometres (585 mi), with a diameter of 12 inches (300 mm) (reducing to 10 and 8 inches (250 and 200 mm) in parts), and it took about 10 days for crude oil to travel the full length of the line. The oil arriving in Haifa was distilled in the Haifa refineries, stored in tanks, and then put in tankers for shipment to Europe.

Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline
Map of Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline
General information
Type	Crude oil
Operator	Iraq Petroleum Company
Construction started	1932
Commissioned	1935
Decommissioned	1948 (1954)
Technical information
Length	942 km (585 mi)
Diameter	12 in (305 mm)

The pipeline was built by the Iraq Petroleum Company between 1932 and 1934, and during this period most of the area through which the pipeline passed was under a British mandate approved by the League of Nations. The pipeline was one of two carrying oil from the Baba Gurgur, Kirkuk oilfield to the Mediterranean coast. The double pipeline split at Haditha (Pumping Station K3) with a second line carrying oil to Tripoli, Lebanon, which was then under a French mandate.

The pipeline and the Haifa refineries were considered strategically important by the British Government, and indeed provided much of the fuel needs of the British and American forces in the Mediterranean during World War II.

The pipeline was a target of attacks by Arabs during the 1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine, and as a result one of the main objectives of a joint British-Jewish Special Night Squads commanded by Captain Orde Wingate was to protect the pipeline against such attacks. Later on, the pipeline was the target of attacks by the Jewish Irgun paramilitary organisation.

In 1948, with the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the official operation of the pipeline ended when the Iraqi Government refused to pump any more oil through it.

The portion between Kirkuk and Tripoli remained in operation. It was looped between Kirkuk and Homs with the 30/32-inch Kirkuk–Baniyas pipeline which became operational in April 1952. It had also been looped before that point with a 16-inch pipeline (to both Tripoli and Haifa). The 16-inch line to Haifa was never commissioned. it was completed just as the political facts on the ground had turned against it.

Construction

See also: History of petroleum industry in Iraq

Iraqi oil production in 1932 was 1,000,000 to 1,200,000 bbls/a. The planned capacity of the new pipe line was 30,000,000 bbls/a. H. S. Austin, president of the Ajax Pipe Line Co., responsible for the Ajax pipeline, and the Tuscarora Oil Co. was head of the construction work. The Ajax was a 400 mile, 65,000 bbls/day, twin 10-inch line between Glenn Pool (near Jenks, Oklahoma) to Wood River (near Alton, Illinois) and was completed in 1930 or 1931.

In total, 1,180 miles of pipe (120,000 tons) produced by French (52,000t), British (50,000t), German (10,000t) and American (8,000t) manufacturers and operated at 500psi were laid starting November 1, 1932. Pumping stations were diesel-driven. The pipe was laid simultaneously in each of the 3 principal legs of the line.

There was one railhead for each of the 3 legs, which became depots and sites for workshops. One was at Baiji, a few miles east of what would become the K-2 pumping station, supplied via Basra. The southern leg depot was at Mafraq on the Hejaz Railway, supplied via Haifa and for the northern leg, Homs was chosen as it was already host to several small industries.

By May 15, 1933 801 miles of pipe had been strung (laid out). This amounted to 4,750,000 ton miles of haulage of pipe alone and 7,000,000 overall haulage at this point of the estimated total 23,000,000 ton miles required. Between September 1932 and finished April 24, 1933 one pair of telegraph and one pair of telephone wires were installed along the route.

The Tripoli line was filled starting in early June 1934 with half of the pumping stations in operation and in July there had been attained a preliminary production capacity of 20,000 bbls/day or about 50% of rated capacity. French tankers were starting transportation to a new 15,000 bbls/day refinery at Martigues. At Tripoli there were at that time completed or under construction 15 tanks of 93,000 bbl capacity each. In March 1947 there were 27 tanks totaling 2,300,000bbl at Tripoli. During the war a small 5,000bbl/day topping plant was built at Tripoli.

The first oil arrived in Haifa on October 15, 1934.

The total cost of the project was $50,000,000.

Pumping stations

Kirkuk–Haifa oil pipeline west end, Haifa, 1938

The pumping stations were named in numerical order going westwards, with the stations from Kirkuk to Haditha denoted "K" (after Kirkuk) and the subsequent ones to the Mediterranean coast at Haifa denoted "H" (after Haifa) and those to Tripoli denoted "T".

• K1 35°30′55″N 044°18′49″E (K-1 Air Base; also serving the 30-inch line)
• K2 34°54′47″N 043°24′50″E (Baiji oil refinery, some time after 1947)
• K3 34°04′31″N 042°21′07″E (also 30-inch)
• H1 33°47′23″N 041°27′37″E (H-1 Air Base)
• H2 33°22′38″N 040°37′04″E (H-2 Air Base)
• H3 33°56′49″N 039°44′03″E (H-3 Air Base)
• H4 32°30′09″N 038°11′32″E (H-4 Air Base)
• H5 32°10′32″N 037°07′36″E (H-5 Air Base)
• T1 34°13′37″N 041°19′50″E
• T2 34°22′35″N 040°09′08″E (also 30-inch)
• T3 34°31′47″N 038°44′48″E
• T4 (also 30-inch)

Haifa Refinery

See also: Oil Refineries Ltd

This refinery of Consolidated Refineries Ltd. was constructed by the M. W. Kellogg Co. 3.5 miles northeast of the Port of Haifa on 360 acres. It started production late in 1939, shortly after the outbreak of World War II. In 1945 it consisted of 3 units of 26,000 bbls/day each and the refinery had reached the capacity needed to process all oil that the 12-inch pipelines could deliver from Kirkuk. Oil arriving in Tripoli was brought to Haifa by tankers. In March 1947 the construction of a fourth unit of the same capacity was about to begin. The refinery shut down indefinitely on April 12, 1948 due to a strike of Arab workers following an attack in which several of them were injured.

The following paragraphs use contemporary sources, which due to the nature of Israel-Arab relations are vague to begin with and may contain disinformation.

In late 1949 operations resumed on a much reduced scale using Venezuela crude oil as input. In June 1950 an agreement was reached to increase production to 20,000 bbl/day, saving an estimated $3,000,000 annually to Israel and covering 65 percent of the country's gasoline needs. Egypt was maintaining a blockade for ships through the Suez canal heading to the plant. The source of crude oil was Qatar, tankers were to take the route around the Cape of Good Hope.

At the end of 1955 the refinery was still operating at only 20% capacity. Russian crude oil was added to the list of sources in 1955. Shipments were estimated to be 9,000 bbl/day on average during 1957 and 1958. Israel also started train runs to Haifa from their own recently discovered field at Heletz at a rate of merely 600 bbl/day in 1956.

Extensions

In late 1945, work began on two new 16-inch lines (85,000bbl/day each, 180,000 tons of pipe planned total), looping the two 12-inch lines in production. The project was hampered by delays. By March 1947, 150 miles of pipe had been strung (laid out) and 50 miles had been welded between H3 and H4. Materials were shipped to Haifa and transported by rail to a depot at Mafraq, then by road. For the eastern part, supplies arrived at Basra and were transported by rail to Baiji. The Haifa pipeline was expected to be finished in the spring of 1949, the Tripoli line a year after. In June 1947 bids were invited for a 11,500bbl/day refinery at Baiji, a city that lies a few miles east of K-2. Pipe laying finished in April 1948. The additional capacity of 94,000bbl/day was to be reached in the autumn. Pipe for the project was provided by British Stewards & Loyds (60,000t) and two French companies (100,000t): Ste. Escaut et Meuse (at the Anzin plant) and Ste. Louvroil, Montbard et Aulnoyne (at the Aulnoye plant). One section of 20 miles between the River Jordan and Haifa remained to be laid before deliveries could commence when work was stopped because of the unsettled conditions. (see Battle of Haifa, 21-22 April). Continued attempts to circumvent Haifa for an alternative outlet in Lebanon were hampered by the refusal of the Lebanese government to grant right-of-way permissions for the needed construction. The reason for the refusal was an attempt by Lebanon to renegotiate transit fees for pipe lines in operation.

Pipe for the Tripoli 16-inch line (85,000bbl/day) was first constructed between K-3 and Tripoli. Stringing began in May 1948, welding began in October and was finished by July 1949. The 16-inch line to Tripoli went into preliminary (40,000bbl/day) operation by August 1949. The line used the 16-inch portion between Kirkuk and K-3 that was originally laid for the Haifa line. In November 1949 an extension of the small topping plant at the Tripoli terminus started production with capacity increased to 11,000bbl/day. The 16-inch line consisted of two pipes between Kirkuk and K-3.

The Kirkuk–Baniyas pipeline (300,000bbl/day) between Kirkuk and a terminal some 50 miles to the north of Tripoli started preliminary production in April 1952.

In October 1952 a 134 mile, 12-inch pipe between the Ain Zalah field and K-2 went into production. The line extends from K-2 in a roughly north-westerly direction. It joined the 12-inch and 16-inch lines at K-2. Ain Zalah was discovered in 1940 and was the fourth field in Iraq to produce. The expected final production rate of the field was 25,000 bbls/day.

See also

• Trans-Arabian Pipeline

External links

• U.S. checking possibility of pumping oil from northern Iraq to Haifa, via Jordan, Haaretz, 25 August 2003