A fight between Iraq’s central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over oil cargoes exported via Turkey has spilled into the US courts, with an arrest order issued — but not carried out — against the cargo on one of three Callimanopulos group tankers reported to be involved in the shipments.

Iraq’s Ministry of Oil requested the seizure of the $100m cargo on the 159,000-dwt United Kalavrvta (built 2005) this week, while it waited for lightering off Galveston.