ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi ministry of electricity reported on Wednesday that electricity imports from the Kurdistan Region have "completely" ceased after UAE-based Dana Gas was forced to halt gas production at the giant Khor Mor field due to security concerns, noting that operations are resuming following an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
"We are currently not receiving any electricity from the Kurdistan Region," Ahmad Turki, spokesperson for the ministry, told Rudaw’s Nahro Mohammed, citing the suspension of operations at the gas field located in eastern Sulaimani province.
Under normal operating conditions, the Kurdistan Region provides between 1,400 and 1,600 megawatts of electricity daily to federal Iraqi provinces through private companies, particularly benefiting Kirkuk, Nineveh, and Salahaddin.
Turki's statement comes after Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to the KRG Prime Minister, told Rudaw on Tuesday that the government had reached an agreement with Dana Gas to resume production at Khor Mor.
The field’s shutdown since mid-July triggered widespread power cuts and caused cooking gas prices to soar across the Kurdistan Region.
"We are currently in discussions and negotiations to resume the electricity supply,” Turki stated, explaining that while Iraq produces approximately 22,000 megawatts of electricity, 55 to 60 percent - nearly 10,000 megawatts - is lost “due to poor transmission, distribution, and violations against the power grid."
Earlier in July, Iraqi Electricity Minister Ali Saadi Waheeb told Rudaw’s Ziyad Ismail that a plan and program "has been submitted to the government" to fix the power network, but noted that "it requires materials and equipment."
When asked about the nation's energy needs, the minister noted that Iraq currently requires 4.2 billion cubic feet of gas per day to ensure reliable power generation.
The shortfall comes as Iranian gas exports to Iraq have plummeted from a contracted volume of around 50 million cubic meters per day to just 20 million, the ministry previously confirmed.
Addressing the suspension, the official in the KRG premier’s office defended Dana Gas' decision to temporarily halt operations, noting that the field has suffered 12 attacks in recent years that killed three personnel and warning that strikes during active production pose severe structural and safety risks.
Although the Kurdistan Region has repeatedly sought to remain on the sidelines of regional hostilities, international energy companies in the Region have consistently been targeted by armed groups.
Baghdad has promised to deliver air defense systems to help protect foreign energy infrastructure and facilities operating in the Kurdistan Region.
