The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. Shares in Genel Energy, the London-listed exploration and production company and largest independent oil producer in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, were down more than 2 percent on Tuesday after the company announced its unaudited half year results to 30 June 2014. Results summary Highlights Genel's operations in the Kurdistan Region […]
By John Lee. Axeon Specialty Products said on Friday that it received a cargo of crude oil from of Kurdistan's Shaikan oilfield in June, despite the Iraqi government's attempts to block independent exports of crude by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The oil was delivered to the company's refinery in Paulsboro, New Jersey (pictured). A […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Information leaked from an American official suggests that American air support may have been offered to Kurdish forces. Specialized training and armaments from America for Kurdish security forces would accompany air support. European nations have also stepped forward with other offers of military aid. An offer has also been made to […]
By John Lee. After renewed consultation with the relevant national security authorities, the Lufthansa Group has decided to resume flights to Erbil in northern Iraq from Monday. Erbil lies well outside the direct crisis zone in Iraq, and flights to and from the city will be routed to avoid overflying the zone. Lufthansa flies twice-weekly […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. While the tanker the United Kalavryta remains outside of American territorial waters by Texas, another tanker carrying “illegal” oil from the Kurdistan region has left for New Jersey. The tanker, Minerva Joy (pictured), left the port of Dortyol in Turkey on Thursday. It has been determined that LydondellBasell purchased two tankers […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. For over a week, the oil pipeline from Kurdistan to Turkish port facilities has been shut off. Government officials have stated that all the available storage tanks are full of Kurdish oil and remain in holding for when shipment continues. "The flow has stopped. It's been around a week. The tanks […]
After months of remaining out of public knowledge, the buyer of Kurdish oil in America has been revealed. The chemical firm LyondellBasell purchased two tankers worth of Kurdish oil in May. The shipments totaled nearly 533,000 barrels of oil and at the time did not result in any legal action. Data retrieved from the U.S. […]
The KRG Minister of Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami (pictured), commented today (Wednesday) on the Iraqi federal government’s petition to a US court to seize crude oil produced in the Kurdistan Region. “The KRG’s lawyers sent a letter to a court in Texas to explain the misrepresentations of the Iraqi federal government. The Iraqi federal government […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Despite a ruling yesterday that allowed United States Marshals to seize Kurdish oil onboard the United Kalavrvta, a federal judge overturned their own decision. Given the distance of the tanker from American shores, the United States Marshals could not have legally seized the cargo. The judge instead suggested that the dispute […]
By John Lee. As port of its operating and unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2014, Talisman Energy Inc. (TSX:TLM) (NYSE:TLM) has given the following update on its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan: "In the Topkhana Block, testing continues on the T-2 well and is expected to be complete in the coming days. "In […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced that they will pursue a new energy contract with Iran. It is expected that this contract will be similar to the current one with Turkey. Sherko Jawdat, Head of the Industry and Energy Committee, said, “strong oil and economic relations with Iran are part […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. The Iraqi Ministry of Oil has successfully obtained the documentation needed to seize oil from the United Kalavrvta and place it under the protection of the United States Marshals. The value of the ship’s payload is approximately $100 million dollars (1.2 billion Iraqi dinars). The oil onboard had been “illegal” piped […]
