Kurdistan electricity supply to return to normal status within 24 hours: Ministry

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region’s electricity supply is expected to return to normal within 24 hours, the electricity ministry announced on Sunday. Power availability dropped from 24 hours to a few hours in most areas of the Region following a drone attack on a key gas field, which is the main source of energy.

"Today at 2 am, the transfer of gas from the Khor Mor field to the power generation stations began, and the power stations are being put back into operation. The electricity situation is now improving, and within 24 hours, the situation will return to completely normal,” read a statement from the Kurdish ministry. 

Electricity Minister Kamal Mohammed later told Rudaw that the 24-hour power will be restored by late Sunday.

The electricity supply across the Kurdistan Region dropped to about five hours a day after an attack on the Khor Mor gas field ignited a fire and halted gas flows on Wednesday night. 

Khor Mor is the main source of gas for electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region. About 80 percent of power production was knocked out because of the attack, the electricity ministry spokesperson said following the attack.

Located in the Chamchamal district of Sulaimani province, the Khor Mor is operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum.

Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said late Saturday after reaching an agreement with Dana Gas, the company would restore power within hours. 

 “I have spoken with the company’s leadership to thank them and their workforce for their extraordinary resilience and determination amid eleven attacks on the Khor Mor field,” Barzani said in a statement.

Updated at 9:36 am