According to Sputnik news agency Iraq wants to build a new section of the pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan to replace the old one, which was severely damaged by Islamic State (IS).

"[We] are inviting local and international specialized companies to participate in the construction of the new oil pipeline from Kirkuk's oil field to the Iraqi-Turkish border… The bids must be placed by January 24," the statement said.

According to a ministry spokesperson, the pipeline's length will be 350 kilometers with a capacity of 1 million barrels of oil per day.

In early December, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said that Iraq had invited Russian companies to participate in a tender for the development of nine oil-and-gas fields, including in Kirkuk province in the north of the country. He also said that Russian companies had been invited to participate in the pipeline's construction.

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