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Oil companies condemn attacks on Kurdistan Region fields
Oil companies condemn attacks on Kurdistan Region fields

Rudaw Net

time16-07-2025

  • Business
  • Rudaw Net

Oil companies condemn attacks on Kurdistan Region fields

Also in Kurdistan Drone targets Duhok oil field operated by US firm Top Foxtrot member arrested in Erbil: Swedish media KRG approves 'understanding' with Baghdad on budget issues President Barzani, Estonian defense minister discuss defense ties, regional developments A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region on Wednesday condemned the ongoing drone attacks on the Region's oil fields, calling on Erbil and Baghdad to investigate the strikes. 'APIKUR members strongly condemn these attacks on our commercial oil production sites. These attacks have damaged multiple sites for APIKUR member companies, and these attacks are threatening our Iraqi workforce,' the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan's (APIKUR) Spokesperson Myles Caggins told Rudaw on Wednesday. 'We are calling on the government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government to conduct an immediate investigation, and we expect that the government will protect our companies' investments in Kurdistan Region,' he added. Several oil fields in the Kurdistan Region have been struck with explosive-laden drones in the last three days. At least four drone attacks were reported in Duhok province on Wednesday. US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce told Rudaw on Wednesday that attacks on Kurdistan Region are 'unacceptable.' APIKUR later said in a statement that 'These attacks threatened the lives and safety of our predominantly Iraqi workforce and expatriate staff of various nationalities, and also damaged facilities.' Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline were halted in March 2023 following a ruling by a Paris-based arbitration court in favor of Baghdad, which claimed Ankara had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by permitting Erbil to independently export oil starting in 2014. Caggins highlighted the ongoing talks between them and the Kurdish and Iraqi governments to resume the oil exports. 'Our member companies have been in continual discussions with the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government,' he said, reiterating their decision to have written guarantees before resuming the exports. Sangar Abdulrahman contributed to this article.

Baghdad pledges non-interference in oil firms as KRG export resumption nears: Sources
Baghdad pledges non-interference in oil firms as KRG export resumption nears: Sources

Rudaw Net

time14-07-2025

  • Business
  • Rudaw Net

Baghdad pledges non-interference in oil firms as KRG export resumption nears: Sources

Also in ECONOMY Iraq gold surges, inflation dips as deficit grows: Central Bank Fate of trade on Iraqi ports as Iran-Israel war escalates Erbil, Baghdad trade accusations over financial disputes Iraq close to Saudi, Emirati solar deals: Electricity ministry A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government has agreed to refrain from modifying the contracts of international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region, senior sources told Rudaw on Tuesday, with the Region's long-stalled oil exports on the cusp of resumption. A joint committee is set to be formed between Erbil and Baghdad to restart oil exports with all parties awaiting the results of a crucial Coordination Framework, Iraq's ruling coalition, meeting expected to be held on Tuesday night. 'The meeting will be decisive in resolving disagreements about oil and salaries,' a senior source in Baghdad told Rudaw, on the condition of anonymity. Another source from the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) said that they have obtained guarantees regarding their demands for oil production and export. 'Guarantees have been given that the consulting company that estimates the costs of oil production and transportation will not make changes to the contracts during its work period,' the source told Rudaw. In a statement, APIKUR on Tuesday hailed the expedited efforts by the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to resume oil exports. International Oil Companies (OICs) 'reiterated that they are prepared to immediately resume exports through the ITP [Iraq-Turkey pipeline] once binding agreements are in place that ensure payment certainty for such exports which reflect each IOC's existing, legally valid contractual terms as well as resolution of the outstanding payment arrears to be agreed with each company,' the oil association said in a statement. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been halted since March 2023 when 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 exporting oil independently in 2014. 'APIKUR member companies stand ready to resume exports as soon as written agreements are executed that honor our existing contracts which are governed by international law,' the statement cited the association's spokesperson Myles Caggins as saying, reiterating that existing contracts 'must be honored in every respect.' Under the 2025 budget law, the KRG is required to deliver 400,000 barrels per day to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO). On Saturday, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani attributed the delay in restarting exports to new demands from Erbil for higher volumes of oil for domestic use, explaining that while the KRG initially agreed on 46,000 barrels per day for internal consumption, it is 'now requesting it to be 65,000, thus violating the budget law.' The halt in exports and disputes with Baghdad have put an enormous financial strain on the KRG, which has lost more than $25 billion in oil revenues. Erbil is not able to pay its civil servants and is dependent on funds from Baghdad. In May, Iraq's federal finance ministry halted all budget transfers to the KRG, including payments for public employee salaries, claiming the KRG had exceeded its share of federal budget funds and failed to deliver its oil to SOMO. Public sector workers have not been paid since. Hastyar Qadir contributed to this report.

Oil association urges renewed efforts to resume Kurdish exports
Oil association urges renewed efforts to resume Kurdish exports

Rudaw Net

time09-05-2025

  • Business
  • Rudaw Net

Oil association urges renewed efforts to resume Kurdish exports

Also in ECONOMY Iraq tells Turkey it needs more time to restart Kurdish oil exports Dana Gas says to begin production at Chamchamal field next year KRG calls for restart of Kurdish oil exports 'as soon as possible' KRG transfers control of digital salary payment program to finance ministry A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Oil producers in the Kurdistan Region on Sunday called for increased efforts to resume the long-halted Kurdish oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline (ITP). In a statement, the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) said that their latest meeting with the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government last week 'did not result in any agreements.' 'The GoI [Government of Iraq] continues to publicly express the importance of oil exports through the ITP but engagements thus far have been limited and unproductive. APIKUR calls for redoubling of efforts to find mutually beneficial solutions,' the statement said. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since 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 exporting oil independently in 2014. Despite ongoing talks between Erbil, Baghdad, Ankara, and oil producers - with added pressure from the United States - the exports remain stalled, with their suspension costing Iraq billions of dollars in revenue. 'APIKUR member companies have repeatedly proposed solutions that satisfy, both, Iraq's Budget Law and comply with international oil company contracts which have been validated in Iraq's courts,' said APIKUR spokesperson Myles Caggins. 'We regret the lack of progress, nevertheless we will continue to push for a resumption [of] oil exports.' The oil association also lamented that 'no substantial discussions' have taken place with Baghdad and Erbil on their proposals for payment mechanisms, stressing that multiple recommendations have gone unaccepted. 'APIKUR member companies remain ready to immediately resume exports through ITP once binding agreements are in place that ensure payment certainty for such exports in like with each IOC's existing contractual terms,' the statement added. In early April, APIKUR said that their investments have been 'fundamentally harmed' by the closure of the pipeline and that they are in a 'hurry' to resume the oil exports, for which they have been 'at forefront to push negotiations with Baghdad.' In early February, the Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the federal budget law, authorizing a $16-per-barrel fee for production and transport costs in the Kurdistan Region - a move seen as a crucial step toward restarting exports. The amendments also require both the federal government and the KRG to establish an international technical consultancy within 60 days to assess production and transportation costs for oil fields in the Kurdistan Region. If an agreement cannot be reached, the federal council of ministers will appoint the consultancy.

KRG calls for restart of Kurdish oil exports 'as soon as possible'
KRG calls for restart of Kurdish oil exports 'as soon as possible'

Rudaw Net

time09-05-2025

  • Business
  • Rudaw Net

KRG calls for restart of Kurdish oil exports 'as soon as possible'

Also in ECONOMY Iraq tells Turkey it needs more time to restart Kurdish oil exports Dana Gas says to begin production at Chamchamal field next year Oil association urges renewed efforts to resume Kurdish exports KRG transfers control of digital salary payment program to finance ministry A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's Council of Ministers said on Wednesday that it has met its obligations for resuming the Region's oil exports, calling on the relevant authorities in Erbil and Baghdad to restart the process 'as soon as possible.' The Council of Ministers held its weekly meeting in Erbil on Wednesday to discuss a range of issues, particularly the Kurdish oil exports which have been suspended for over two years. 'The Council of Ministers reaffirms its unchanging position in support of negotiations and discussions between both the Oil Ministry and Natural Resources Ministry for the soonest possible resumption of oil exports,' read a statement from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). 'To this end, the Council of Ministers calls on the [Kurdish] Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Oil Ministry, oil companies, and [Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization] SOMO to continue coordination and negotiation in order to resolve the issues and reach an agreement as soon as possible to resume Kurdistan Region's oil exports and to prevent further financial losses to the general treasury, which have already exceeded tens of billions of dollars,' it added. Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023, after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad, stating that Ankara had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to export oil independently. Iraq's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Baghdad is seeking to resume Kurdish oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and will 'make every effort' to do so. Myles Caggins, spokesperson for the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR), an umbrella group of international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw on Tuesday that Baghdad must provide written documentation of the international consultant's audit of production and costs. "I want to make APIKUR's position clear. Our companies are ready to resume oil exports when we have agreements, and we need agreements for sales and also an agreement for the international consultant that is required by Iraq's budget law," he added. In early February, the Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the federal budget law, authorizing a $16-per-barrel fee for production and transport costs in the Kurdistan Region - a move seen as a crucial step toward restarting exports. The amendments also require both the federal government and the KRG to establish an international technical consultancy within 60 days to assess production and transportation costs for oil fields in the Kurdistan Region. If an agreement cannot be reached, the federal council of ministers will appoint the consultancy.

Western Companies Accuse Baghdad, Erbil of Blocking Kurdistan Oil Exports
Western Companies Accuse Baghdad, Erbil of Blocking Kurdistan Oil Exports

Asharq Al-Awsat

time30-03-2025

  • Business
  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Western Companies Accuse Baghdad, Erbil of Blocking Kurdistan Oil Exports

Despite the renewed optimism over the past two weeks regarding the potential resumption of Kurdish oil exports to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, a new setback revealed by oil companies operating in the region has pushed negotiations back to square one. APIKUR, a grouping of eight oil firms operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, criticized both the federal government in Baghdad and the regional government in Erbil for failing to present any 'proposal' to restart oil exports. This has raised further doubts about the prospects of resuming exports, which have been halted since March 2023. Despite criticism directed at both Baghdad and Erbil, a Kurdish affairs researcher insists that 'influential factions in Baghdad' are obstructing the resumption of oil exports. The coalition of eight Western oil companies that make up APIKUR had entered investment contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government. These companies now face legal challenges with Baghdad, particularly following a 2022 Federal Court ruling declaring the Kurdistan Region's oil and gas law unconstitutional, which led to a significant crisis with the consortium of companies operating in the region. The Federal Ministry of Oil had previously accused APIKUR of 'interfering in both internal and external Iraqi affairs' through its statements. In a statement on Saturday, APIKUR said that despite the halt in oil exports since 2023 through the pipeline between Iraq and Türkiye, neither the group nor its members have seen any proposal from either the Iraqi government or the Kurdistan Regional Government that would lead to the resumption of exports. APIKUR spokesperson Myles Caggins emphasized that the association continues to focus on collaborating with all stakeholders to fully restore oil production and exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline. The statement also pointed out that the Iraqi government has not taken the necessary actions to reopen the pipeline and enable oil exports from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, despite Türkiye announcing in October 2023 that the pipeline was ready for operation and oil export. APIKUR had previously welcomed the Iraqi Cabinet's proposal to amend Article 12 of the Federal Budget Law regarding oil production costs in the region, seeing the amendment as 'an opportunity to meet its demands.' However, the association now sharply criticizes both Baghdad and Erbil, stating that previous positive meetings with representatives from both governments have not resulted in any real progress toward reopening the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline.

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