While the attack on a cluster of oil pipelines south of Basra on 25 Aug was widely reported, that attack was only one of six targeting the oil and gas infrastructure over a span of three days: 25 Aug to 27 Aug. Here’s the tally from Iraq Pipeline Watch (the numbering is from their count of incidents since June 2003):

99. August 25 - attack on the reversible Strategic Pipeline linking oil fields in the north and south of Iraq sparked fire 19 miles (30 km) west of Babylon.

100. August 25 – explosion at 7:00 am near Al Madhatiya in Aawazel area, about 18 miles (30 km) south of Hilla, on gas pipeline which transports gas from Basra to other southern towns set the pipeline ablaze.

101. August 25 – eight parallel pipelines that link the Rumaila oilfields to the Zubayr 1 pumping station were hit in Berjasiya, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Basra, when a bomb exploded under a bridge at 9:00pm and caused it to collapse, reducing exports from the south.

102. August 27 – attack on the 36-inch in diameter oil pipeline that connects the South Rumaila oilfield to storage tanks at the Zubair One station near Basra.

103. August 27 – attack on the 48-inch oil pipeline that connects the North Rumaila field to storage tanks in the West Qorna oilfield.

104. August 27 – blast on oil pipeline that feeds the Daura refinery; section on fire 19 miles (30 km) north of Baghdad.

This is the highest concentration of attacks since December 2003. This doesn’t strike me as a situation that is settling down.