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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Energy firms operating in the Kurdistan Region are an "integral part" of Iraq's economy, Baghdad government spokesperson Haider al-Aboudi told Rudaw on Wednesday, affirming Iraq's commitment to protecting those companies.
The remarks come amid operational suspensions at several of the Region's key oil and gas fields, triggered by increased drone and missile attacks in recent days.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi recently met with representatives of the international energy firms that are operating in the Kurdistan Region, Aboudi told Rudaw’s Ziyad Ismail, emphasizing that the premier “provided sufficient guarantees to support their return to regular operations.”
"The Iraqi government, despite the challenges posed by regional circumstances, remains committed to protecting these companies and ensuring their continued operation," Aboudi affirmed.
Zaidi in early June met with representatives of energy firms operating in the Region, reaching agreements on export increases, security guarantees for oil fields, and linking oil revenues to salary payments for the Region's public employees.
However a number of international energy firms have since reported suspension to their operations on fields in the Kurdistan Region.
The UK-based Gulf Keystone Petroleum on Monday temporarily shut production at the Sheikan oil field, in the Region's northern Duhok province, as a precautionary measure citing a deterioration in regional security. The suspension temporarily took over 45,000 barrels of oil per day of gross production offline.
Mid last week, the US-based HKN Energy suspended all operations following explosive drone strikes targeting production units at the Sarsang oil field in Duhok as well.
Norwegian operator DNO ASA and Genel Energy in mid-July paused activities at the Tawke and Peshkabir fields in Duhok, while domestic operator KAR Group triggered safety protocols at the Khurmala Dome field near Erbil following drone strikes on field infrastructure.
In mid-July as well, the UAE-based Dana Gas and its partner consortium Pearl Petroleum shut down all main production facilities at the strategic Khor Mor gas field in Chamchamal district, east of the Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, citing credible security threats amid escalating regional tensions, while confirming that no attack targeted the facility itself.
As the largest natural gas supplier in the Kurdistan Region, Khor Mor's operational halt immediately disrupted feedgas to regional power plants, cutting local power generation capacity by up to approximately 3,000 megawatts.
The disruptions coincided with a surge in drone and missile attacks on the Kurdistan Region - including on the Kurdish capital Erbil - since Friday.
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