Kurdistan Delegation in Baghdad to Discuss Oil Exports and Output Increase
Talks expected with Iraqi officials and SOMO aimed at raising Kurdistan Region oil exports to 500,000 barrels per day amid ongoing production constraints
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday to hold a series of meetings with senior Iraqi officials focused on oil exports and mechanisms to increase production and shipments, according to Kurdistan24 correspondent in Baghdad, Dilan Barzan.
The delegation is scheduled to begin its first meeting at 12:00 noon on Wednesday with Iraq’s Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, marking the start of a broader round of talks with federal authorities.
A well-informed source told Kurdistan24 that the KRG delegation is on an official visit to Baghdad, with the main objective of increasing Kurdistan Region oil exports through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
The delegation is expected to meet with Prime Minister al-Zaidi, Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair Al-Abadi, and representatives of the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO) to discuss export arrangements.
According to Kurdistan24 sources, the delegation includes Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Muhammad, Head of the Council of Ministers Diwan Omed Sabah, and Cabinet Secretary Amanj Rahim.
A source within Iraq’s Oil Ministry told Kurdistan24 that crude exports from the Kurdistan Region have declined over recent months due to security conditions affecting oil fields, impacting both export volumes and overall regional revenues.
The talks in Baghdad are expected to focus on increasing oil exports to 500,000 barrels per day, alongside stabilizing production and ensuring secure transport routes.
Exports from the Kurdistan Region to the Turkish port of Ceyhan were suspended in 2023 following a ruling by an international arbitration court, before partially resuming at the end of 2025. However, recent months have seen another decline in output and exports due to renewed regional security tensions and concerns over the safety of oil infrastructure.
Officials from both sides are now seeking to stabilize export flows and address operational challenges that have affected production levels across key oil fields in the Kurdistan Region.