The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. The international airports at Erbil (pictured) and Sulaymaniyah have been closed due to Russian aerial operations against Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) militants in Syria, according to a report from BasNews. Iraqi aviation authorities told the airports to close on Sunday evening for 48 hours -- flights are scheduled to resume on […]
By John Lee. Shafaaq reports that a new border crossing has been opened between Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan, and Iran. The new crossing at Siran Bin is the third in the province, and connects with the Iranian city of Bana. At the opening ceremony, the governor of Sulaimaniyah predicted that the new crossing will ease […]
By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq’s most urgent challenge is to eliminate the Islamic State (IS), but that battle will be just a prelude to myriad conflicts in liberated areas such as Sinjar and Tuz Khormato if the rival […]
The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry for Natural Resources has published a report on crude oil production, refining, local consumption and export in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in 2015. The report also includes information on the Region’s oil revenue, pipeline infrastructure, the status of exploration blocks, and the composition of the workforce in the Region’s […]
By John Lee. DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today confirmed receipt of USD 30 million to be shared pro-rata with its partner Genel Energy plc as a partial payment towards oil exported from the Tawke field by the Kurdistan Regional Government. The payment is the third such monthly payment received in 2015. […]
By John Lee. A spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region's Syndicate of Investors has told BasNews that unemployment has risen sharply over the last two years and is now estimated at 20-25 percent with 700,0000 people losing their jobs in the private sector. But the Head of Sulaymaniyah Directorate of Statics, Mahmoud Othman, rejected the claims, […]
Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) has confirmed that, further to the recent statement by the Kurdistan Regional Government regarding the November payment to the exporting international oil companies ("IOCs") in the region, a gross payment of US$15 million (US$12 million net to Gulf Keystone) has been received by the Company. This payment satisfies the Company's invoice […]
KRG President Masoud Barzani as part of his visit to the Persian Gulf region has met with His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia. King Salman and President Barzani discussed the current issues facing the region in particular and te entirety of the world in general in the hands of […]
By John Lee. UAE-based Dana Gas has announced that it has reached an “amicable and mutually beneficial settlement agreement” with RWE’s trading unit RWE Suppy & Trading GmbH (RWEST) to resolve a dispute over its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. The detailed terms of the settlement agreement are to be treated in accordance with the confidentiality […]
By John Lee. Dana Gas has announced that the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) has ordered the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to pay $1.98 billion to a consortium that it leads. In a statement to the Abu Dhabi stock exchange, the Sharjah-based company claims that the judgement is final, binding and internationally enforceable, and […]
By Mohammed A. Salih for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Kurdistan's prospects of stability might be affected by the renewed resolve by Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) to fight the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), even after its spectacular […]
By John Lee. The Chairman of Genel Energy has said that the KRG will begin exporting natural gas to Turkey within two or three years. Tony Hayward (pictured) told the Atlantic Council conference in Istanbul that 20 billion cubic metres will hit the Turkish market by 2020, with KRG Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami saying […]
