ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi prime minister on Monday has tasked the ministry of defense with safeguarding the Kurdistan Region’s key Khor Mor field in Chamchamal, east of Sulaimani, telling officials that production is set to resume “within three days” following a meeting between field representatives.
Unnamed officials told Rudaw that the Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zaidi held a meeting with field representatives upon his return from Washington in which he tasked the ministry of defense with providing full protection of the field, issuing a promise “to guarantee the safety of operating companies.”
A different unnamed source told Rudaw that workers “could be called back to work either Tuesday or Wednesday.”
UAE-based Dana Gas announced the suspension of operations for its Khor Mor Gas field last Thursday citing “credible threats” after eight one-way drones were launched targeting Erbil amid renewed escalation of US-Iran tensions.
The Khor Mor field, located east of Sulaimani province, provides the bulk of the fuel needed to power the region’s 24-hour electricity program known as the Runaki project. Aside from 2,400 megawatts of power, the field provides the majority of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for gas cylinders that households rely on for cooking.
The shutdown has resulted in long queues at fuel and other refill stations and a doubling of the price; the price of one standard household gas cylinder has surged from 9,000 ($7) to 18,000 dinars ($14).
Recent power disruptions caused by the shutdown of the Khor Mor gas field have subsequently resulted in a 30% reduction in Erbil’s water supply, with affected neighborhoods receiving water for about two fewer hours than usual. Municipal networks rely on adequate power to operate electric and jet well pumps to extract water from aquifers and elevate them to water towers.
The field experienced a shutdown on February 28, at the start of the US-Iran conflict, resuming production in mid-April. The Kurdistan Region experienced a sharp increase in the price of gas cylinders due to crippling shortages, which soared 30,000 dinars ($23), prompting the Ministry of Natural Resources to resort to capping gas cylinders to two per household every month.
The late February suspension was a precautionary measure due to the damage suffered late November in 2025 in which a drone hit a storage tank, resulting in a fire and causing power outages across the Kurdistan Region.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
