Islamic State Torches Oil Field East of Tikrit-Witness

[Bosonic]

Source: New York Times

BAGHDAD — Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit to try to hinder aerial attacks aimed at driving them from the oilfield, a witness and military source said.

Black smoke could be seen rising from oil field since Wednesday afternoon, said the witness, who accompanied Iraqi militia and soldiers as they advanced on Tikrit from the east.

Before the Islamic State took over the field in June it produced 25,000 barrels per day of crude that were shipped to the Kirkuk refinery, as well as 150 million cubic feet of gas per day piped to the government-controlled Kirkuk power station.

An engineer at the site told Reuters last July that Islamic State fighters were pumping lower volumes of oil from Ajil, fearing that their primitive extraction techniques could ignite the gas.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2015/03/05/world/middleeast/05reuters-mideast-crisis-iraq.html

[Fred Sanders]

1. ISIS Torches Oil Fields as Iranian and Iraqi Fighters Advance on Tikrut - fixed it for NYT. Truth.

[SunSeeker]

2. That's desperation. They just set fire to their key revenue source to try to save their own butts.

Guess not all ISIS fighters want to die as martyrs. Probably want to save themselves for those teen Brit girls coming their way.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

3. This will be great for global climate change.

How can anyone put out these fires in a war zone? These will be burning for a long, long time.

[jwirr]

4. Agreed as I think most war activities are bad for the climate, the economy of the war zone and the

people.

[heaven05]

5. more

destruction of our world/climate by idiot, vicious religionists who deserve nothing more than an eternal HELL!!!!! With lots of pain, felt consciously forever and ever.

[Fred Sanders]

6. Not to mention their torching of Public Libraries and Museums....a criminal organization.

Saying they are anything more is what they want us to say.

[heaven05]

8. yep

[riderinthestorm]

7. How do we know they did this on purpose?

maybe it was an accident due to their "primitive extraction techniques".

Regardless, this completely sucks. I hope the Iraqis can re-take this area quickly so people can get in there to put it out.

[winstars]

9. Duhhh, same thing the Iraqi army did in 2 wars. Didn't work out so well for them...

Since many of the top leadership is from the old army, it makes perfect sense for them to try this tactic....