US port authorities were poised to seize more than a million barrels of Kurdish crude from a tanker off the Texas coast.
Court filings showed early yesterday that a US judge, acting on a request from Iraq’s central government, had signed an order telling the US Marshals Service to seize the oil from aboard the United Kalavrvta.
The tanker left Ceyhan, Turkey on June 23 and arrived near Galveston Bay on Saturday. The US Coast Guard on Sunday cleared the ship to transfer its cargo offshore to smaller boats that would deliver it to the US mainland.
But in a court filing on Monday, Baghdad said that it had not given permission to the Kurdish Regional Government to sell the oil. And that, it said, amounted to smuggling.
The order from the judge, Nancy Johnson, said that the ship would be allowed free movement after the cargo had been unloaded.
The US state department has expressed fears that independent oil sales from Kurdistan could contribute to the breakup of Iraq, and has warned potential buyers of legal risks. But it has also made clear it will not intervene in a commercial transaction.
Piecemeal oil exports have gone from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey and Iran by lorry in the past, which Baghdad opposed. But the opening of a new pipeline to Turkey this year has met much fiercer opposition from Baghdad.
One cargo of Kurdish crude was delivered in Houston in May to an unidentified buyer, and four other cargoes of Kurdish crude have been delivered this year in Israel.
The name of the case is Ministry of Oil of the Republic of Iraq v 1,032,212 Barrels of Crude Oil Aboard the United Kalavrvta and the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Regional Governate of Iraq.
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
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