Tag Archives | Kurdistan News

The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.

Gulf Keystone Resumes Pumping in Kurdistan

By John Lee. According to industry sources cited by reuters, Gulf Keystone has restarted production in Kurdistan after a gap of six months. The company is now producing between 5,000 and 7,000 bpd for sale on the domestic market, and is developing its Shaikan field to raise output to around 40,000 bpd by the middle […]

Iran's Kurdistan Region Exports $416m Commodities to Iraq

By John Lee. The Customs Director of Iran's Kurdistan Province has said that $416-million worth of commodities have been exported to Iraq from this western province since the start of current Iranian year, March 20, 2012. Talking to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Mohammad Shahbazi said this represented an increase of 21 percent compared to […]

Kurdish Villagers Demand Compensation for Forced Evacuations

By Abdul-Khaleq Dosky. This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Almost 30 years ago they were forced from their land so Turkish military could freely hunt rebels across the border. Now the Kurdish villagers, who have […]

Place Your Bets: Erbil or Baghdad

The dispute between Iraq's central government and the Kurdistan Regional Government over oil contracts in northern Iraq has been dragging on for years, but it recent times we've seen developments that push the sides further apart rather than bringing them together. While the short-term issue of payments for shipments from Iraqi Kurdistan appears to have […]

OMV to Hand Back Blocks to KRG

By John Lee. According to Iraq Oil Report, Austria's OMV will hand back two exploration blocks to the Kurdistan Regional Government. In its latest trading statement, OMV said it had written off exploration expenses at the "unsuccessful wells and exploration licenses" relating to the Mala Omar and Shorish blocks. The company has failed to find […]

Kurdistan "Begins Oil Exports, Defying Baghdad"

By John Lee. Reuters reports that Kurdistan has begun shipping oil to international markets in independent export deals that some see as paving the way to greater Kurdish autonomy. The move is likely to further enrage the central government in Baghdad, but the involvement of two of the world's largest trading houses, Trafigura and Vitol, […]

Kurdistan to be Self-Sufficient in Oil Products

By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government's Minister for Natural Resources, Ashti Hawrami (pictured), has announced that the Kurdish region will be self-sufficient in oil products next year. He expects an increase in Kurdistan refinery's production from 40,000 to 100,000 barrels per day, resulting in a surplus of oil products. Hawrami also disclosed that there […]

Sterling Energy Rises on Interim Management Statement

By John Lee. Shares in Sterling Energy were up more than 1% in early trading on Monday, following the publication of the company's interim management statement. Sterling made the following statement on operations in Iraqi Kurdistan: "The Company completed the acquisition of 117 km of 2D seismic data in the Sangaw North block in south […]

Largest US Business Delegation Visits Kurdistan

President Masoud Barzani welcomed the largest ever American business delegation this week which was visiting Kurdistan to explore investment opportunities in the Kurdistan Region and to participate in the Erbil International Fair. The US-Kurdistan Business Council (USKBC) brought a 48-member delegation, representing 30 companies in diverse sectors, to meet with various KRG officials in Erbil […]

Exxon "Nears Sale of South Iraq Stake"

ExxonMobil is in talks to sell its 60% stake in the massive West Qurna-1 oil field, while gearing up to start a controversial drilling program in Iraqi Kurdistan, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing what it described at "people familiar with the matter". Exxon's 2010 deal with the Iraqi central government to improve production in […]

Khor Mor Production Reaches 80,000 bpd

Investment almost $1 billion - highest foreign investment in Iraqi oil and gas sector Total 67 million barrels produced since 2008 – highest by private sector in Iraq Project achieves government fuel cost savings of $5.4 billion Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, in their capacity as joint operator of the Khor Mor field, have announced […]