Dana Gas rejects as 'completely false' reports of Iraqi PM order to halt Khor Mor production

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The UAE-based Dana Gas denied to Rudaw on Tuesday that it had received orders from Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani to halt production at the Kurdistan Region’s Khor Mor gas field, rejecting as “completely false” media reports claiming the premier had requested a suspension of operations until an investigation into last week’s attack on the facility is concluded.

In a statement to Rudaw, Dana Gas said, “The premise of the article [in the American website Al-Monitor] is completely false,” adding that Prime Minister Sudani had instead “clearly expressed his wish for gas production to resume as soon as possible.”

“We are grateful to [the Iraqi premier] personally and to everyone in his office for their quick response and support on security matters,” the Sharjah-headquartered firm said, praising “the immediate visit of senior federal officials to Khor Mor and the commitment to swiftly issue the investigation report and follow up.”

Dana Gas, together with its affiliate Crescent Petroleum, is a joint operator and major shareholder in Pearl Petroleum, the consortium leading the development and production of the Khor Mor gas facility.

Located in the Chamchamal district of the Kurdistan Region’s eastern Sulaimani province, the Khor Mor gas field came under attack on Wednesday.

Dana Gas reported on Thursday that production at the facility had been suspended after “a liquid storage tank” was struck, adding that “there were no injuries to personnel.” The firm said it initiated a temporary shutdown “to extinguish the fire and conduct a situation assessment.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani on Thursday condemned the attack on the Khor Mor gas field during a phone call with Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. The Iraqi Premier was cited as “strongly condemning and denouncing the attack on the Khor Mor gas field, describing it as an assault on all of Iraq.”

The two top officials further agreed to form a joint investigative committee "to identify and arrest the attackers and bring them to justice."

Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the Iraqi premier, told Rudaw on Friday that the results of its investigation would be announced within days.

“A committee headed by [Interior Minister] Abdul-Amir Shammari, with members including the head of the intelligence agency and the interior minister of the Kurdistan Region, and with the support of the global coalition, is investigating the attack on Khor Mor field,” Numan said.

The statement comes shortly after the US-based al-Monitor reported Prime Minister had requested a suspension to gas production at the Khor Mor field until the investigative committee concludes its probe into the Wednesday attack.

Updated at 1:10 pm.