BAGHDAD: The halt of Turkish exports of electricity to Iraq and a lack of fuel for power stations is to blame for the blackouts hitting Iraq's northern oil fields, the Electricity Ministry said yesterday.

The power cuts have forced Iraq to stop pumping crude oil along its northern pipeline to Turkey and knocked out its largest refinery, at Baiji.

Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad said he did not know when pumping would resume but that it would depend on the fields having a stable electricity supply.

Both Baiji and the Shuaiba refinery in southern Iraq, which was hit by a major fire on Tuesday, are out of operation. The two refineries supply the domestic market with gasoline, diesel, cooking gas and kerosene.

Iraq already suffers from chronic fuel shortages and has long struggled to meet existing local demand.

The loss of the two refineries deals another blow to local fuel supply.

"Turkey has also stopped providing us with electricity. This has greatly affected the stability of power in the northern region, including Kirkuk," Jihad said.

Turkish power producer Kartet said halted exports of electricity to Iraq after the country stopped shipments of fuel oil to the company's power plant near the border.

Electricity Minister Karim Waheed had spoken to Iraq's deputy oil minister to discuss the power crisis, said ministry spokesman Aziz Sultan.