KRG delegation, oil and gas companies’ reps address resuming oil exports

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A negotiating delegation of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) consisting of a senior team of the Ministry of Natural Resources met with oil and gas production companies on Sunday in Erbil.

The meeting covered the most recent developments in the negotiations between Erbil and Baghdad regarding the oil laws and budget, as well as the actions taken by the KRG to protect the region's constitutional rights and find a solution.

The meeting also expressed the Kurdistan Region's desire to resume oil exports as soon as possible with the representatives of the companies, which requires finding a common understanding of all parties on the cost of production and transportation of oil.

Moreover, the meeting addressed the challenges faced by oil companies in the past few years, caused by a combination of global conflicts and the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finally, both sides decided to continue such joint meetings to find common solutions, resolve outstanding issues, and resume oil exports, set to play an important role in the economic recovery of the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.

The export of Kurdish oil through the Iraq-Türkiye Pipeline has been halted since March 25 after Iraq claimed victory against Türkiye at a Paris-based international court for allowing the KRG to independently export its oil.

Earlier on Dec. 5, the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) expressed its concern that Kurdish and Iraqi natural resource officials did not invite representatives from the organization to bilateral meetings.

APIKUR member companies complained they have “neither been included in these meetings nor been invited to participate in any future meetings between the KRG and GOI [Government of Iraq].”