The pumping of crude oil along a pipeline connecting Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan has been suspended because of "technical problems," energy officials said on Thursday.

The suspension began on Wednesday morning, and the pipeline will gradually resume operations from midnight, eventually resuming its regular level by midday on Friday, officials said.

"Yesterday (Wednesday), oil pumping was ceased because of technical problems," an official in the state-owned North Oil Company said. "A technical team has started working to fix this problem.

"Production is still ongoing, and newly produced oil is being kept at a storage facility."

An oil ministry official confirmed the suspension and that repairs were ongoing. Neither official, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, gave details on the nature of the technical problems that caused the suspension.

The pipeline transports 450,000 to 500,000 barrels of crude oil per day to Ceyhan.

The lion's share of Iraq's government income is derived from crude oil sales. The country exported around 2.2 million barrels of oil per day in August.

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