The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
By John Lee. Reuters has reported that BP will undertake work to arrest declining production at the Kirkuk oilfield, in a move that has outraged the Kurdistan Regional Government. Abdul Mahdy al-Ameedi, head of the oil ministry's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD), told The Wall Street Journal that a request has been sent to […]
The Kurdistan Regional Government has issued a strongly-worded statement challenging the policy of the Federal Government and the Ministry of Oil: The Kurdistan Regional Government is proud of the achievements of its oil and gas industry since the fall of the former regime in 2003. It expects the federal government of Iraq to be proud […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Kurdish military officials and the Iraqi central government are currently trying to defuse an armed confrontation over a disputed northern territory. Kurdish military officials said the forces of Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi prime minister, […]
Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) has issued a statement suggesting it will take legal action against companies exporting crude oil without dealing with the central government, including the confiscation of cargoes and the filing of lawsuits against sellers, buyers and transporters. The statement reads as follows: "In accordance with the provisions of Laws No. […]
By John Lee. Iraq has approved the deal under which Kuwait Energy would replace Turkey's state-owned Turkiye Petrolleri AO (TPAO) on the Block-9 exploration contract. Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi, director of the ministry's contracts directorate, told Reuters: "Kuwait Energy has acquired the stake of the Turkish company TPAO, and now it's holding 70 percent of the contract, […]
By John Lee. Genel Energy has started shipping crude oil directly into Turkey from its Taq Taq oil field (pictured) in Iraqi Kurdistan, two weeks after exports from the region were halted, reports Bloomberg. According to the report, the KRG won’t resume exports through the central government pipeline network until the federal authorities pay the […]
Tuz Khurmatu, a town of low-rise buildings, palm trees and some 110,000 residents, is in a swathe of territory Kurdistan wants to incorporate in its autonomous region over Baghdad's strong objections. For the people of Tuz Khurmatu, simmering tensions between Baghdad and Kurdistan cause fear and are also bad for business: (Source: AFP)
Minister Falah Mustafa, the KRG's Head of Foreign Relations, met with Mr Tae-In Chung, the Deputy Director General for the African and Middle Eastern Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of South Korea to discuss bilateral ties. Both sides discussed areas of cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields between Kurdistan […]
By John Lee. WesternZagros Resources has announced the appointment of Mr. William (Bill) Jack to the position of General Manager Kurdistan, to be resident in Iraqi Kurdistan, effective February 1, 2013. This appointment follows the decision by Mr. Ian McIntosh, Vice President, Kurdistan Business Unit, to retire in January 2013 after three years of valuable […]
The UK's Middle East Association (MEA), in partnership with the Kurdistan Regional Government, will be leading a Trade Delegation to Iraqi Kurdistan from 24th February to 1st March 2013, visiting Erbil and Duhok. The Kurdistan region remains one of the MEA’s major success stories. In October we took another large UK trade delegation to the […]
By Padraig O'Hannelly. A year after the withdrawal of US troops, the terrorist attacks in Iraq continue, and the tensions between central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government continue to rise. In the year ahead, we can expect to see further developments in the ongoing battle between Erbil and Baghdad over control of oil contracts […]
Austrian companies in Vienna heard about the investment and trade opportunities in the Kurdistan Region, at the first business lunch to be jointly hosted by the Kurdistan Regional Government Austrian Representation and the Austrian Federal Chamber of Commerce. The guest of honour was Chairman of the Kurdistan Investment Board Minister Herish Muharam, who on the […]
