Peregraf
Iraq’s long-stalled oil exports from the Kurdistan Region are set to resume next week, according to a statement by Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdulghani during the 9th Sulaymaniyah Forum held at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS).
“We will meet with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources next Saturday and oil exports via pipeline will resume the same week,” the minister announced during a panel discussion.
Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region have been halted for over a year due to legal and contractual disputes between Erbil and Baghdad. During the same forum, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani attributed the delay to disagreements over the type of oil contracts and the rights of foreign companies operating in the Region.
“The Kurdistan Region has lost more than 29 billion dollars due to the suspension of oil exports and has not been compensated,” Barzani said. He emphasized the importance of respecting the unique operational framework used by oil companies in the Kurdistan Region, noting that it differs from the rest of Iraq.
Barzani also revealed that two legal complaints filed by foreign oil firms in Iraqi courts resulted in rulings in favor of the companies. “This has been agreed upon and a certain amount has been determined, but it has not been implemented yet,” he added.
He confirmed that the KRG’s technical delegation would return to Baghdad to continue negotiations with the federal Oil Ministry in order to resolve remaining issues. “The consent of foreign oil companies remains essential,” Barzani said, stressing the need to respect their contracts and conditions.
The resumption of oil exports is expected to bring significant economic relief to the Kurdistan Region and marks a potential turning point in long-standing energy and revenue disputes between the regional and federal governments.
Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk to Turkey have been suspended since March 25, 2023, following an arbitration ruling by the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce in favor of Baghdad. The court ruled that Turkey had violated a bilateral agreement by allowing Kurdish oil exports without the federal government’s approval, prompting Ankara to shut down the pipeline at the Ceyhan port.