ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region’s oil exports through Turkey have resumed on a “limited basis,” a senior Iraqi oil ministry source told Rudaw on Wednesday, noting that most oil firms have suspended operations in Kurdistan due to the widening regional conflict.
Speaking to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, the source further estimated that “current export production stands at just 40,000 barrels per day,” attributing the decline to “the suspension of operations by most International Oil Companies [IOCs] in the Kurdistan Region.”
The well-placed source, who spoke to Rudaw on condition of anonymity, further estimated that “production for export currently stands at only 40,000 barrels per day [bpd],” attributing the decline to “most International Oil Companies [IOCs] operating in the Kurdistan Region suspending their operations.”
Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani had in late February stated that daily oil exports from the Kurdistan Region had reached 210,000 bpd.
However, two senior Iraqi oil ministry officials told Rudaw on Tuesday that Kurdish oil exports had been completely halted as of Monday.
Earlier the same day, a well-placed source from Iraq’s state-run North Oil Company (NOC) said the decision to halt exports “was made following an assessment by the oil companies themselves.”
Of note, the NOC, along with Iraq’s North Gas Company (NGC), oversees the exploration, production, and management of oil and gas resources in the Kurdistan Region and its surrounding areas.
Rudaw has learned that the IOCs informed the federal oil ministry they cannot continue operations under the current circumstances and intend to keep production suspended until the situation stabilizes.
Since Saturday, the United States and Israel have been engaged in a large‑scale military campaign against Iran, including coordinated air and missile strikes that killed the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior commanders.
For its part, Tehran has launched a massive, multi-front offensive involving over 1,200 drones and nearly 500 ballistic and cruise missiles striking targets in all six Gulf Cooperation Council states - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Region’s capital city, Erbil, has been targeted with at least 70 missiles and drones since fighting erupted Saturday, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein reported Monday.