Baghdad Confirms Resumption of Kurdistan Oil Exports

The Federal Ministry of Oil has confirmed the completion of procedures for resuming the export of oil produced in the Kurdistan Region through Ceyhan Port (pictured), in accordance with the mechanisms outlined in the Budget Law and its amendments and within Iraq’s OPEC production quota.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ministry said it has called on Kurdistan authorities to hand over the produced quantities from operational fields to the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) to begin exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and Ceyhan Port, under contracts signed with the nominated companies.

Sources told Reuters that U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration put pressure on Baghdad to allow oil exports from the Region, to offset a potential fall in Iranian oil exports due to increased sanctions on Iran. Reuters adds that Farhad Alaaldin, a foreign affairs adviser to the Iraqi Prime Minister, denied that there had been a threat of sanctions or pressure on the government.

Oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline (ITP) were suspended in March 2023 following a dispute between Baghdad, Erbil and Ankara.

(Sources: Ministry of Oil, Reuters)