Two Workers Killed in Pipeline Fire at Iraq’s Zubair Oilfield, Officials Say

At least two workers were killed on Sunday after a fire broke out in an oil pipeline at Iraq’s Zubair oilfield, officials said.

They added that oil production and flow were not affected, with throughput remaining at around 400,000 barrels per day.

According to the officials, five other workers were seriously injured when the fire erupted as a group of laborers were welding near the pipeline.

The blaze occurred in a section of the pipeline that transports crude oil from the Zubair field to nearby storage tanks.

In a statement, the Basra Oil Company (BOC) said firefighters battled the flames for several hours before bringing the fire fully under control by midday.

The Oil Ministry later said the blaze had been triggered by a gas leak in an old pumping system at the Zubair oil storage depot. It confirmed that one BOC employee had died and four others were injured. Some of the injured workers suffered severe burns and remain in critical condition, officials added.