APIKUR Spokesperson Caggins: Oil Export Restart Depends on Companies’ Response After Baghdad Meeting

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — A final decision on the resumption of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region depends on the response of operating oil companies, according to Myles B. Caggins III, spokesperson for the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR).

Speaking to Kurdistan24 on Wednesday, Caggins said the position of oil producers remains the key factor in determining whether exports will restart, following high-level talks in Baghdad between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), foreign oil companies, and the Iraqi government.

The meeting, held earlier in the day and chaired by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, included a KRG delegation led by Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Mohammed Salih, as well as representatives of several international oil firms. Iraq’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Oil, and Army Chief of Staff also attended.

According to Caggins, some companies that previously operated in the Kurdistan Region are no longer active, adding that APIKUR will issue an official statement outlining the stance of oil-producing companies regarding the proposed resumption of exports from the region’s oil fields.

In a statement, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Office said al-Zaidi received a comprehensive briefing on the operational status of oil companies, particularly in light of recent regional conflicts. The meeting also reviewed a broad and practical plan aimed at ensuring the rapid resumption of company operations and restoring oil exports.

The discussions come amid ongoing efforts by Baghdad and Erbil to restart exports through the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline, which have been suspended for more than three years, while addressing outstanding issues between the federal government and international oil producers operating in the Kurdistan Region.