"The ‘United Carrier’, the ‘United Dynamic’ and the ‘Nautilus’ will no longer be permitted to enter Iraqi oil terminals and other terminals to be used for export of Iraqi crude oil in future," Iraq's state oil marketing organisation (SOMO), said in a decree seen by Platts.
The notice issued late last month did not give reasons for the ban. Market sources said that Baghdad was banning the tankers for transporting crude on behalf of the KRG.
Charterers have confirmed to Platts that they had received the SOMO notice instructing them not to use these ships for loading Iraqi oil.
"Ships that loaded Kurdish crude have been blacklisted by Iraq," said a chartering source to Platts whose company regularly lifts crude from Basrah. "Maybe they [shipping companies] are getting a high premium [for loading Kurdish] crude and their activity is not reported."
The two oil-loading terminals at Basrah and Khor Al Amaya each export more than 70 mill barrels of oil per month month, which amounts to more than 70 Suezmax cargoes.
The ‘United Dynamic’ and ‘United Carrier’ are managed by Greece-based Marine Management Services (MMS). MMS did not immediately response to phone calls and emails to its Greece office, Platts said, while the ‘Nautilus' owners could not be reached for comment.
Due to the ongoing civil war in Iraq, KRG is exporting oil from region under its control by moving it by pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan where it is loaded onto tankers.
So far, at least 15 ships have been loaded with Kurdish crude at Ceyhan, according to industry estimates, Platts said.