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L'Orient-Le Jour
6 days ago
- Business
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Drone attack targets Tawke oilfield in Iraq's Kurdistan
A drone attack targeted an oilfield operated by Norwegian oil and gas firm DNO in Tawke, in the Zakho Administration area of northern Iraq, on Thursday, the Kurdistan region's counter-terrorism service said. The attack is the second on the DNO-operated field since a wave of drone attacks began early this week. DNO, which operates the Tawke and Peshkabour oilfields in the Zakho area that borders Turkey, temporarily suspended production at the fields following explosions that caused no injuries, the counter-terrorism service said. DNO did not immediately reply to a request for comment. This week's drone attacks have reduced oil output from oilfields in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region by between 140,000 to 150,000 barrels per day, two energy officials said on Wednesday, as infrastructure damage forced multiple shutdowns. The Ain Sifni oilfield, operated by U.S.-based Hunt Oil, was attacked on Wednesday in the Dohuk region of northern Iraq. Hunt Oil said that none of its team members were injured and its facilities are shut down while it assesses the damage. No group has so far claimed responsibility. However, Iraqi Kurdistan security sources said initial investigations suggest the drone came from areas under the control of Iran-backed militias.
Iraqi News
6 days ago
- Business
- Iraqi News
Northern Iraq oil site struck by drone for second consecutive day
Erbil – A drone loaded with explosives struck an oil field in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region on Thursday, Kurdish forces said — the second attack in two days on the Norwegian-operated site. 'At 10:55 am (0755 GMT) a new attack by an explosives-laden drone hit' the DNO-operated Tawke field in Zakho disrict, Kurdistan's counterterrorism services said. No casualties or damage were reported. Similar attacks on Wednesday forced the Norwegian firm to suspend operations at the Tawke and Peshkabir oil fields. Another two attacks targeted an oil field operated by the US firm Hunt Oil in Duhok province. 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. Several oil fields in the region have been hit in the space of a week. The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) — which represents international oil firms in the region, including DNO, and Hunt — condemned the attacks Wednesday. It added that the majority of its members have suspended production 'totalling over 200,000 barrels per day'. 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. 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. But a Kurdish official, who requested anonymity, blamed the recent attacks on the Popular Mobilisation Forces — Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic — a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces. 'We hold the Iraqi government responsible because they are funding the PMF, which is attacking the oil infrastructure,' he told AFP Wednesday.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Drone hits oil field in Iraq's Kurdistan for second day
Black smoke rises following drone attacks on an oil field in the Zakho district of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region (Pic creit: AP) A drone loaded with explosives struck an oil field in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region on Thursday, Kurdish forces said -- the second attack in two days on the Norwegian-operated site. "At 10:55 am (0755 GMT) a new attack by an explosives-laden drone hit" the DNO-operated Tawke field in Zakho disrict, Kurdistan's counterterrorism services said. No casualties or damage were reported. Similar attacks on Wednesday forced the Norwegian firm to suspend operations at the Tawke and Peshkabir oil fields. Another two attacks targeted an oil field operated by the US firm Hunt Oil in Duhok province. 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. Several oil fields in the region have been hit in the space of a week. The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) -- which represents international oil firms in the region, including DNO, and Hunt -- condemned the attacks Wednesday. It added that the majority of its members have suspended production "totalling over 200,000 barrels per day". 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. 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. But a Kurdish official, who requested anonymity, blamed the recent attacks on the Popular Mobilisation Forces -- Hashed al-Shaabi in Arabic -- a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces. "We hold the Iraqi government responsible because they are funding the PMF, which is attacking the oil infrastructure," he told AFP Wednesday.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Drones attack Iraqi Kurdistan oilfields for fourth day
BAGHDAD, July 17 (Reuters) - Drones struck oilfields in Iraqi Kurdistan on Thursday, with officials pointing to Iran-backed militias as the likely source of attacks this week that have slashed the region's oil output by more than half. These are the first such attacks on oilfields in the region and coincide with the first in seven months on shipping in the Red Sea by Iran-aligned Houthi militants in Yemen. Thursday's strike hit an oilfield operated by Norway's DNO ( opens new tab in Tawke, in the Zakho area, the region's counter-terrorism service said. It was the week's second strike on a site operated by DNO, which operates the Tawke and Peshkabour oilfields in the Zakho area that borders Turkey. DNO did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment. No group has claimed responsibility for four consecutive days of attacks, but security officials told Reuters the drones came from areas controlled by Iran-backed militias. No casualties have been reported but oil output in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region has been slashed by 140,000 to 150,000 barrels per day (bpd), two energy officials said. That is over half the region's normal output of about 280,000 bpd. Iran backs militant groups that are part of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a collection of about 10 hardline Shi'ite armed factions that command about 50,000 fighters and arsenals. They have claimed responsibility for dozens of missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since the Gaza war erupted in 2023. U.S.-based Hunt Oil operates the Ain Sifni oilfield in the Dohuk region, which was attacked on Wednesday. Hunt Oil said no workers were injured but that it had shut down its facilities to assess damage.
Shafaq News
6 days ago
- Business
- Shafaq News
Drone escalation: Is the Kurdistan Region's economy at risk?
Shafaq News A recent wave of drone attacks has dealt a serious blow to the Kurdistan Region's oil sector, triggering shutdowns and placing vital infrastructure under growing strain. The most recent incident occurred early Thursday, when an explosive-laden drone struck the Bahrka subdistrict in Erbil province. No casualties were reported. The night before, another drone targeted the Baadre oil field in Sheikhan district, sparking a large fire and forcing a halt in operations. That strike followed a series of earlier attacks in Duhok province, where the Tawke and Bishkabour oil fields—both operated by Norwegian firm DNO—were hit, along with a US-managed site in Malperkeh. While no injuries have been reported across the incidents, damage to equipment and facilities has been confirmed, raising concerns about operational safety and infrastructure resilience. These attacks were preceded by repeated strikes on the Khurmala and Sarsang fields on Monday, bringing the total number of drone incidents to at least nine in less than a week. On Tuesday morning, three additional sites—Peshkabir, Tawke, and a Hunt Oil installation—came under fire within a 90-minute window, deepening the disruption to production. Output in Freefall In the aftermath of the strikes, operators including DNO ASA and Gulf Keystone Petroleum moved swiftly to suspend operations. Tawke, Peshkabir, and Shaikan—the Kurdistan Region's most productive oilfields—remain offline. Acknowledging the gravity of the threat, the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources called on all operators to conduct urgent safety assessments, as fears over infrastructure vulnerability continue to mount. Before the attacks, oil production in the Kurdistan Region hovered between 285,000 and 300,000 barrels per day in 2024. The strikes have cut output by an estimated 140,000 to 150,000 barrels daily—nearly half of the total volume. Peshkabir, producing roughly 49,500 barrels per day, alongside Tawke at about 29,150 and Sarsang at approximately 30,000, collectively contribute over 108,000 barrels daily. These three fields alone represent close to 6% of Kurdistan's projected 1.8 million barrels per day output this year. Oil revenues remain the cornerstone of the Region's economy, generating more than $4 billion last year, with nearly $2 billion retained after deductions. Based on current Brent prices, a daily loss of 150,000 barrels equates to roughly $3.8 million in missed income—amounting to over $1.1 billion per month. Even a more cautious estimate of 140,000 barrels per day results in a weekly shortfall of around $70 million, intensifying pressure on Erbil's budget. 'This is a direct hit to Kurdistan's economy,' oil expert Dr. Kovend Sherwani told Shafaq News, emphasizing that some fields have ceased production entirely and the full extent of damage remains under assessment. Sherwani also interpreted the timing of the attacks as a calculated message, stressing that 'They come just days after Baghdad signed a deal with an American company to develop Iraq's Hamrin field. It's a hostile signal against foreign, especially US, investment in Iraqi oil.' Voices of Outrage The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) warned that the attacks endanger both Iraqi and expatriate workers, stressing that the authorities in Baghdad and Erbil to enhance protection for personnel and critical infrastructure. On the political front, the Kurdistan Region Presidency described the strikes as a serious threat to sovereignty and investment. 'This is a dangerous escalation that targets the Region's stability and its partnerships,' the presidency noted, urging Baghdad to take decisive steps. Iraq's presidency echoed that position, cautioning that repeated violations put national security and the public interest at risk. Moreover, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered an immediate investigation, directing the reinforcement of air defense and radar systems. Despite mounting international and regional pressure, no official accusations have been issued. The Iraqi military dismissed claims involving the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), noting no irregular activity had been detected. The PMF-aligned Coordination Framework also condemned the strikes as destabilizing acts carried out by rogue groups. 'None of the factions affiliated with us were involved in these operations,' affirmed senior Framework figure Amer al-Fayez in comments to Shafaq News, emphasizing the need to avoid further regional escalation. Across the Kurdistan Region, unease is mounting among local communities and workers' unions. Growing concerns over oil-sector staff safety have prompted renewed calls for authorities to prioritize the protection of strategic energy facilities. Pipeline on Pause These attacks deepen an ongoing political stalemate over oil exports. The Iraq–Turkiye pipeline, capable of transporting 300,000 barrels per day, has remained idle since March 2023 following an arbitration ruling. Talks between Baghdad and Erbil continue to stall amid disagreements over pricing, operational control, and contract terms. Tensions have been further strained by Baghdad's decision to cap recoverable production costs at $16 per barrel. International companies operating in the Kurdistan Region argue that actual expenses range between $24 and $26 per barrel, making a compromise essential for any restart in exports. Dr. Sherwani warned that the drone campaign appears designed to disrupt any fragile momentum in Iraqi-Kurdish dialogue. 'These strikes don't just damage infrastructure—they complicate already difficult negotiations and weaken the prospect of reaching a unified oil policy.' He also pointed out that continued production halts could prevent the Region from meeting its crude supply obligations to Iraq's Oil Ministry and SOMO, a failure that may deepen the rift with Baghdad.
