Iraq awaits Turkey's go-ahead to restart Kurdistan Region's oil exports
Also in Iraq
PM Sudani honors Iraqi doctor for humanitarian efforts in Gaza
Iraq may face 'important' decisions from Trump administration: Kurdish official
Syrian FM to visit Baghdad this week: Iraqi officials
Sudani confirms end of the US-led coalition mission
A+ A-
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is awaiting a response from Turkey 'within the next 24 hours' regarding the readiness of the pipeline designated for the Kurdistan Region's oil exports, an official from Iraq's oil ministry said on Sunday.
Mohammed Khudair, the ministry's undersecretary, told Iraqi state media that Baghdad's oil ministry had contacted Ankara 'to inquire about the readiness of the pipeline for exports through the Ceyhan port, and we are expecting an answer within the next 24 hours.'
Earlier in the day, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that it had reached an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to restart oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.
This announcement followed confirmation from Iraq's oil ministry on Saturday that the necessary procedures to resume production and exports from the Kurdistan Region had been completed. The ministry further urged Kurdish authorities to begin delivering oil to Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), which will handle exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.
Khudair emphasized that Iraq is committed to maintaining exports through the Ceyhan port as part of a strategic vision for strengthening Iraq-Turkey relations. He added that there is ongoing communication with the Kurdistan Region and Turkey to ensure smooth cooperation and continuous exports.
Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline were suspended in March 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin independent oil exports in 2014.
Prior to the suspension, Erbil was exporting approximately 400,000 barrels of oil per day through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, along with an additional 75,000 barrels per day from Kirkuk.
Khudair noted that the suspension created "challenges for oil fields in the Kurdistan Region, which now require a rehabilitation period to restore full production capacity." He added that the target is to reach 400,000 barrels per day, which is the minimum export quantity set in the federal budget.
Currently, Khudair said, 'the available export quantity in the region is 300,000 barrels per day, with a portion allocated for domestic consumption, and the remaining 185,000 barrels will be allocated for export.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Iraqi News
5 hours ago
- Iraqi News
Iraq's oil production fall by 59,000 barrels per day
Baghdad ( – A senior Iraqi official at the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) revealed on June 2 that the country's oil output in May declined by 59,000 barrels per day as Iraq plans to accelerate measures to compensate for prior overproduction. Iraq's oil production quota rose by 49,000 barrels per day in May, reaching a total of 4.049 million barrels per day, as reported by S&P Global. Since April 2024, eight OPEC+ countries, including Iraq, have resumed their voluntary production cuts of 2.2 million barrels per day. The production limit was set to rise to 411,000 barrels per day in May, June, and July 2025. However, this increase coincides with its compensation plan, which is supposed to compensate for serial overproduction in 2024. In the most recent plan, announced by the OPEC secretariat in Vienna in April, Iraq pledged to produce oil less than its quota by 140,000 barrels per day in May. The volume of crude oil that Iraq exported by sea declined to 3.27 million barrels per day in May 2025 compared to 3.30 million barrels per day in April 2025. According to government sources, Iraq's oil exports in May and June 2025 are expected to be less than 3.2 million barrels per day to meet its OPEC+ production quota. During the first five months of 2025, Iraq's crude oil exports averaged approximately 3.33 million barrels per day, compared to 3.45 million barrels per day during the same period in 2024.
Iraq Business
8 hours ago
- Iraq Business
Al-Mathar Group Acquires 4 Corners Creative Agency
By John Lee. Baghdad-based advertising firm 4 Corners Creative Agency has announced that it has been acquired in full by Al-Mathar Group, marking what it describes as, " a strategic step aimed at supporting the agency's growth and strengthening its position in both the local and regional markets. " 4 Corners was founded in 2016 by Ameer Alaa. Under the agreement, the agency's current leadership will assume advisory roles, while a new executive team will focus on innovation, regional expansion, and strategic partnerships. Al-Mathar Group, established as an engineering business in 2004, said the acquisition reflects its strong belief in the potential of Iraq's creative sector and its commitment to investing in local brands with regional impact. The group expressed its vision to transform 4 Corners into a regional hub for excellence in advertising and marketing. (Source: 4 Corners) Tags: 4 Corners Creative Agency, advertising, Al-Mathar Group, cg, featured
Iraq Business
8 hours ago
- Iraq Business
Iraqi Private Sector Faces Four Key Challenges, Says Professor
By John Lee. The Iraqi private sector confronts significant obstacles that must be addressed to unlock the country's economic potential, according to Professor Frank Gunter of Lehigh University, speaking at the Iraq Britain Business Council (IBBC) Spring Conference in London recently. Professor Gunter identified four critical challenges hampering private enterprise development in Iraq: Finance: Iraqi businesses struggle to access basic financial services including cross-country bill payments and funding. "The first source of funds is family, not a bank, not a loan, not a venture capitalist," Professor Gunter noted, emphasising that this reliance on family financing must change for sustainable growth. Education: The country faces challenges in both quantity and quality of education. Iraq had been making progress in reducing illiteracy until ISIS disrupted educational systems between 2014 and 2017, forcing many out of schools and creating refugee populations. The professor stressed the need to eliminate illiteracy, particularly among older workers, whilst improving educational quality to meet private sector demands for engineers and scientifically-trained personnel rather than bureaucrats. Infrastructure: Basic infrastructure remains deficient, with Iraq lacking reliable 24-hour electricity despite two decades of substantial investment spending. Regulatory Environment: This emerged as perhaps the most damaging constraint. Professor Gunter cited a recent World Bank study examining 50 countries, which found Iraq ranking last among 16 nations with similar economic development levels for regulatory quality. Even when compared to all 50 countries studied-including those with lower development levels and nations experiencing civil wars-Iraq ranked 45th. The findings suggest substantial reform will be required across multiple sectors to create a conducive environment for private enterprise in Iraq.
