ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government on Thursday urged international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region to resume production and increase exports, assuring that Baghdad has provided security guarantees to protect oil fields.
“Oil companies must resume production and increase oil exports,” Iraqi Prime Minister spokesperson Sabah al-Numan, told Rudaw on Thursday, confirming that a technical committee from Iraq's Ministry of Defense had completed assessment of the oil fields in the Kurdistan Region and submitted its report to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.
This comes as oil companies operating in the Region have faced repeated disruptions in recent months, sharply reducing production since late February following the regional conflict triggered by the US and Israeli military campaign against Iran.
The conflict led to six weeks of fighting and drone attacks on energy infrastructure from Iran-backed militias in Iraq, forcing several firms to suspend or scale down operations. In response, companies have sought firm assurances from both Baghdad and Erbil that such incidents will not recur.
Output has averaged around 80,000 barrels per day, with most of the crude consumed within the Kurdistan Region. During the conflict, Rudaw recorded at least 865 projectiles launched toward the Kurdistan Region by Iran and Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq from the to date.
Oil companies have sought stronger security assurances before resuming operations after repeated attacks on energy infrastructure. PM Zaidi has pledged to provide air defense protection for the Kurdistan Region's oil fields, while Kurdish officials say Baghdad is committed to its delivery.
The latest remarks follow months of talks between Baghdad, Erbil and international oil companies over restoring oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Turkey's Ceyhan port.
Sherwan Dubardani, a member of the Iraqi parliament's security and defense committee, told Rudaw last week that air defense systems would first be delivered to Iraq before being deployed in the Kurdistan Region. Baghdad, he said, "will hand it over to the Kurdistan Region to be installed at the oil fields."
A military delegation led by Saad Ali Ati, deputy chief of staff for operations, visited the Kurdistan Region on June 18 to inspect oil infrastructure. The visit came days after Iraq’s Army Chief of Staff Abdul Amir Yarallah led a separate high-level delegation to Erbil to discuss mechanisms for protecting the Region's oil fields.
The security efforts follow a June 3 meeting in Baghdad between a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) delegation, including representatives of international oil companies and PM Zaidi, discussing an increase in production and exports alongside security guarantees.
Ahmed also rejected reports alleging that foreign companies had withdrawn from the Region, saying, "They have only suspended production."
