Türkiye has halted operations at its crude oil terminal at the Port of Ceyhan following the deadly earthquake that ripped through the southern part of the country on Monday.
The port of Ceyhan is located less than 160km from the epicentre of the earthquake. Maritime Executive reports that the port suspended operations as a “precautionary measure” after the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country’s southern Kahramanmaras province and parts of neighbouring Syria, destroying thousands of buildings and damaging infrastructure. On Monday night the death toll had climbed to 3 800 and thousands of people were also reported injured. Rescue operation teams have been pulling more victims from the rubble of collapsed apartment blocks and houses, as dozens of aftershocks, including a major magnitude 7.5 tremor, continued to be recorded in the region.
The Ceyhan oil terminal at the port is the end point of a number of export pipelines running from Azerbaijan and Iraq. The terminal comprises seven crude oil storage tanks and two Very Large Cruise Carrier-sized loading berths that handle an estimated one million barrels a day.
Local agents reported that the oil terminal had lost power due to the natural disaster, forcing it to suspend operations. Its supply pipelines run through the earthquake-impacted region, and while no damage has been detected at this stage, pumping has been temporarily stopped until inspections have been undertaken.
According to UNICEF, the earthquake has come at a time of freezing temperatures, leading to a humanitarian disaster that could take a long time to tackle. "Thousands of homes are likely to have been destroyed, displacing families and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures regularly drop below freezing and snow and freezing rain are common. Heavy snowstorms have also recently hit parts of Syria, with further sub-zero temperatures forecasted," UNICEF said in a statement on Monday.
