“The reason for the stop, which began at about 0600 GMT, was not clear immediately, but the pipeline was subjected to frequent attacks recently and technical problem,” the official said in a statement to Reuters, briefed by “Shafaq News”.

“The technical crew headed to the site to begin the repair work and it is difficult to predict when to resume pumping,” he said.

The Oil Ministry said on Monday that it wants international companies to build a reserve pipeline from Kirkuk to the Turkish border.

The line didn’t work for just few days since 21 of June due to bomb attacks and pipes leaks. It was a major cause for the decline in exports over recent months.