The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. WesternZagros Resources and its co-venturer, Talisman, have submitted a Declaration of Commercial Discovery ("DoC") to the Kurdistan Regional Government ("KRG") for the oil and gas discovery in the Kurdamir Block. A phased development plan, outlining future production wells, facilities and supporting infrastructure, is under preparation for submission to the KRG. Simon Hatfield […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq have regained control of several towns east of Mosul from the Islamic State group. The Peshmerga, backed by US air strikes, are fighting to retake the Mosul Dam, […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. In an interview with BBC, Masrour Barzani (pictured), the Head of the Kurdish Security Council, has requested that the international community supply Kurdish security forces with heavy weaponry. Barzani once again emphasized that there was no need for foreign military intervention with ground troops. “We need more modern weaponry. We need […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Kurdish security forces have announced that a military airport will open in Erbil that will be the receiving point for international military assistance to the regional government. Iraqi, Kurdish and American forces will jointly operate the airbase. While the Kurdish security forces have already received weapons from the United States, they […]
By Patrick M. Schmidt. In statements made to the Financial Times, Turkish officials have encouraged the United States to allow American businesses to import Kurdish oil. They argued that the United States should support the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) economically as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) has been able to directly […]
TWI (Theodor Wille Intertrade) and Safar personnel recently delivered critical food supplies to support the increasing number of refugees fleeing the violence in Iraq. Due to the deteriorating security situation in the region, over 50,000 refugees have been forced to flee areas of Northern Iraq in search of safety. The company said its local team […]
U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq on Monday, successfully conducting airstrikes on four ISIL checkpoints and multiple ISIL vehicles near Sinjar Mountain in defense of internally displaced Yazidi civilians in the area. At approximately 1:10 p.m. EDT, U.S. fighter aircraft struck and destroyed an ISIL checkpoint southwest of Sinjar Mountain. At […]
The KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources has said it attaches the highest priority to the safety and security of all oil industry workers and their operations in the Kurdistan Region. MNR remains in constant contact with KRG security forces regarding the deterioration of security on the Region’s borders and it continues to share all relevant […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Senior Officials in the Turkish ruling party announced that the country would do everything it could to ensure the security of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). The announcement follows reports of Turkish fighter jets on patrol over the region. “As a strategic neighbor the stability and security of the Kurdistan Region […]
Statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby on Airstrikes in Iraq At approximately 6:45 a.m. EDT, the U.S. military conducted a targeted airstrike against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) terrorists. Two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Erbil. ISIL was using this artillery to […]
By John Lee. Afren plc has taken the precautionary step to temporarily suspend operations at the Barda Rash field in light of heightened regional security related issues. Working with its local security advisors, Afren is implementing a phased withdrawal of non-essential field personnel from the Barda Rash field. All other Afren operations in the Kurdistan […]
By John Lee. Following recent events in the vicinity of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ('KRI'), Genel Energy plc has confirmed that the Taq Taq and Tawke fields remain safe and secure. The company says that operations there are unaffected, with combined gross production from both fields averaging c.230,000 bopd this week. It says it […]
