Gas production to resume at Khor Mor Tuesday midnight after drone attack

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Gas production at the Khor Mor gas field is set to resume later on Tuesday evening, days after the site came under a drone strike that killed four Yemeni nationals at the site and halted gas production. The operating company said new measures have been taken to protect the field from future attacks.

Saman Haji Fayaq, the owner of the South Kurdistan Group, which distributes the field's gas, told Rudaw that gas production at the field is set to resume Tuesday midnight, adding that trucks working at the site have been instructed to return to work to facilitate the transportation of gas from the field. 

A drone strike on the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, operated by the UAE-based Dana Gas, on Friday killed four Yemeni nationals and injured several others who were repairing a condensate storage tank damaged by a previous attack. 

Dana Gas said in a statement, seen by Rudaw, that the company “and its partners have taken steps to recommence production from the Khor Mor field,” based on “concrete action” taken by the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to “significantly strengthen defences at the Khor Mor site.” 

The resumption of gas production will be done in a phased manner, according to Dana Gas, “with new measures being implemented to maximise the safety of all personnel and facilities.”

Friday’s attack drew local and international condemnation. The KRG described the strike as a “terrorist” attack and called on the federal government to take action to stop these assaults in the future.

"I would like to emphasize that this attack will put the stability and tranquility of the country in jeopardy. The relevant authorities in Iraq should do their duty by preventing such attacks and finding the perpetrators, regardless of which party they are affiliated to, let them face the legal consequences," Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a statement on Friday.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani ordered the establishment of a committee to investigate the incident, but its findings have yet to be announced.

Iraq’s ruling State Administration Coalition condemned the attack following a meeting in Baghdad which was attended by President Barzani. The attack was also condemned by The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), and several Western countries.

Khor Mor in Sulaimani’s Chamchamal district frequently comes under attack, reportedly by Iran-affiliated Iraqi militias taking advantage of its strategic and economic importance for the Kurdistan Region, leading to major power disruptions across the Region and hindering expansion projects at the site. 

In January, a liquid storage tank at the field was hit by an explosive drone, causing a halt in gas production and a subsequent power outage in the Kurdistan Region. The attack did not result in any casualties.

Ramik Ramazan, the mayor of Chamchamal, told Rudaw that the drone targeted the same spot that was hit by Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups in January. The victims were fixing damage caused by the earlier strike.

Khor Mor field produces 452 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, according to Dana Gas. The strike affected power generation, causing long hours of blackout in the Kurdistan Region.

KRG spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani said the attack caused "a huge amount of damage to the field and this damage will dramatically decrease the production of power.” 

Electricity generation has dropped to just 1,260 MW, according to the spokesperson.

Updated at 6:36 pm