Drone attacks hit three north Iraq oil fields: Kurds - Region
Production at two fields operated by the Norwegian group DNO ASA was temporarily suspended, the company said Wednesday, while an industry coalition to which it belongs reported some of its members were instituting production cuts equivalent to 200,000 barrels a day.
In the past few weeks, Kurdistan has seen a spate of unclaimed drone attacks, which have come as the regional government and the federal authorities in Baghdad wrangle over control of export revenues from the Kurdistan fields.
Five oil fields in the region have been hit in the space of a week.
Long plagued by conflict, Iraq frequently experiences such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles between Iran and the United States and its ally, Israel.
The regional natural resources ministry said the latest attacks had caused "significant damage" and condemned them as acts of "terrorism".
Early Wednesday, "two explosive-laden drones attacked" the Peshkabir oil field, while another struck the Tawke field in Zakho district, Kurdistan's counterterrorism services said.
Both fields are operated by DNO ASA, which announced the suspension of operations following explosions, "one involving a small storage tank at Tawke and the other involving surface processing equipment at Peshkabir".
At 7:14 am (0414 GMT), another attack targeted an oil field operated by the US firm Hunt Oil in Duhok province, without causing casualties or damage.
Twelve hours later, another drone attacked the same field.
Suspension
There has been no claim of responsibility for any of the past week's attacks, and Baghdad has promised an investigation to identify the culprits.
A similar attack on Tuesday forced US firm HKN Energy to suspend operations at the Sarsang field in Dohuk province.
On Monday, two drones hit the Khurmala field, while another was shot down near the airport in the regional capital Arbil.
Politicians close to the Kurdish authorities have blamed pro-Iran groups for the attacks, without offering evidence.
The attacks come amid persistent tensions between the regional authorities and Baghdad over oil revenues, and legal disputes and technical problems have kept an export pipeline to Turkey shut since 2023.
The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) -- which represents international oil firms in the region, including DNO, HKN and Hunt -- condemned the attacks on its members' production sites.
The majority of its members, "including those not targeted, have announced suspension of production totalling over 200,000 barrels per day", it said in a statement.
The companies "are committed to resume oil production and sales as soon as possible", APIKUR spokesman Myles B. Caggins III said.
"We stand ready to put our oil into the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline once agreement is reached between Baghdad, Erbil and the companies," he added.
Iraqi Kurdistan presents itself as a relative oasis of stability in a volatile Iraq, attracting foreign investors due to its close ties with the United States and European countries.
Follow us on:
Short link:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt FM holds talks with UK, Iran, and IAEA on Tehran nuclear programme - Foreign Affairs
Minister of Foreign Affairs Badr Abdelatty discussed ways to revive talks on Tehran's nuclear programme in separate phone calls on Friday with his British counterpart, David Lammy, his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi. Abdelatty explored ways to resume negotiations between Iran, the IAEA, and the E3 group, which comprises the UK, France, and Germany. These negotiations would help restore diplomatic momentum and address concerns related to Iran's nuclear programme, especially with the anticipated activation of the UN sanctions mechanism on Iran by the end of August, as recently announced by the E3 group. During the calls, Abdelatty emphasised the need to sustain the Iran-Israel ceasefire, ensure that hostilities do not resume, and support a political and peaceful path forward. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty's intensive communications also addressed the ongoing de-escalation efforts to reduce regional tensions. During his call with his British counterpart, the Egyptian Foreign Minister addressed ways to develop and strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in trade, investment, and tourism. On the other hand, Abdelatty and the IAEA chief focused on enhancing cooperation between Egypt and the agency in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Throughout April and May, the US and Iran held several rounds of negotiations over Tehran's nuclear programme before the Israeli strikes on Iran began in June. On 2 July, Araghchi, whose country insists its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes, said in TV remarks that 'the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.' Iran suspended cooperation with the IAEA on the same day. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
2 days ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Baghdad and Arbil agree to resume Kurdish oil exports: Government - Energy
The Iraqi government announced Thursday an agreement to resume crude exports from the autonomous Kurdistan region after a more than two-year halt and amid drone attacks on oil fields. Lucrative oil exports have been a major point of tension between Baghdad and Arbil, with a key pipeline through Turkey shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical issues. The Kurdistan regional government shall "immediately begin delivering all oil produced" in the region's field to Baghdad's State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) "for export", the Iraqi government said in a statement. The quantity should be no less than 230,000 barrels per day, and Baghdad will pay an advance of $16 a barrel. The Kurdistan regional government said in a statement it "welcomes" the deal, and hoped all agreements would be respected. Oil exports were previously independently sold by the Kurdistan region, without the approval or oversight of the central administration in Baghdad, through the port of Ceyhan in Turkey. But the region's official oil exports have been frozen since March 2023 when the arbitration tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris ruled oil exports by the regional government illegal and said that Baghdad had the exclusive right to market all Iraqi oil. The decision halted the region's independent exports by pipeline via Turkey. Ever since, the federal and regional governments have been haggling over the production and transport costs payable to the region and its commercial partners among other financial issues. The latest agreement should also solve the long-standing issue of unpaid salaries for civil servants in Kurdistan, which has been tied to the tension over oil. The federal finance ministry will pay salaries for May once SOMO confirms it has received the oil at the Ceyhan port. The regional government said it hoped that the issue of salaries would be treated separately from any disputes. The deal comes after a tense few weeks in Kurdistan, which has seen a spate of unclaimed drone attacks mostly against oil fields, with the latest strike hitting a site operated by a Norwegian firm on Thursday morning -- the second attack in two days on the same site. There has been no claim of responsibility for any of the past week's attacks, and Baghdad has promised an investigation to identify the culprits. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
See - Sada Elbalad
2 days ago
- See - Sada Elbalad
US Diplomats to Return to Iraq
Israa Farhan The United States has announced the gradual return of its diplomats to Iraq, following a period of heightened tensions with Iran that led to their temporary withdrawal nearly a month ago. The move signals Washington's assessment that the threat level in the region has subsided. While the US State Department did not explicitly outline the reasons behind the decision, such changes in diplomatic staffing typically reflect shifts in security conditions and a lower perceived risk of military escalation. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce stated that staff who had been temporarily relocated would begin returning to the US Embassy in Baghdad and the Consulate in Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan region. However, Bruce reaffirmed that US citizens are still advised against travelling to Iraq due to ongoing security concerns. The original withdrawal was prompted by a sharp rise in regional tensions on 22 June, after former US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on nuclear facilities inside Iran, as part of a wider military campaign led by Israel. In response, Iran launched missiles at a key American military base in Qatar. Despite a recent series of drone attacks targeting oil fields in Iraq's Kurdish region, the US has opted to ease travel restrictions for its personnel. No group has claimed responsibility for the drone strikes, which occurred amid a political dispute between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad over oil revenues. Bruce condemned the drone attacks, calling them a threat to Iraq's stability and economic future. She stressed that it remains the responsibility of the Iraqi government to protect its territory and all of its citizens. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results
