BP and Total evacuate foreign staff from Iraq
'Firms operating in the fields of the Basra Oil Company have temporarily evacuated some of their foreign personnel' including British BP, French Total and Italian firm ENI, the company said in a statement, adding that operations were not affected.
The evacuations are due to the 'security situation' in the region, an official from the company told AFP.
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Rudaw Net
14 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
Kurdistan Region's oil production before, after drone strikes
Also in Opinions Sarsang oil field attack and the Hamrin oil, gas contracts: five key questions Decoding Ocalan's message: The question of PKK disarmament and the future of Kurdish politics Kurdish intellectuals face challenges amid Turkey's Kurdish question The 12-day war and silent transformations of western Asia A+ A- Oil fields in Erbil and Duhok provinces were targeted by explosive-laden drones over two days last week. The attacks on various areas of these two provinces continue, and the number is increasing day by day, despite condemnations from the United States, Iraq, and demands from the Kurdistan Region to stop the attacks. Currently, two-thirds of oil production in the Kurdistan Region has been halted, and companies and the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) natural resources ministry indicate massive damage to oil production infrastructure in the Region. This has had a direct impact on the market, with each ton of oil products becoming approximately $30-40 more expensive. If the current situation continues, prices will rise even higher. Furthermore, total oil production in the Kurdistan Region has declined to 101,680 barrels per day, which is the lowest level of oil production in the Kurdistan Region oil fields since the second quarter of 2015. Before the drone strikes, oil production from 12 oil and gas fields in the Kurdistan Region was 328,000 barrels, including 15,819 barrels of Khor Mor condensate gas. Currently, oil production - excluding gas - has reached 101,680 barrels. These attacks have a very significant impact on the oil and gas sector in the Kurdistan Region, as they come at a time when, since March 2023, all development and new investments by international oil companies (IOCs) in the Kurdistan Region have stopped. Now these attacks have targeted the existing infrastructure of companies and caused reduced production and zero operations by IOCs in Erbil and Duhok. If the Khurmala oil field facilities are again targeted by drones, production levels will certainly reach near zero throughout the Kurdistan Region. The motives behind these attacks are complex and varied. Primarily, they have targeted the oil industry infrastructure of the Kurdistan Region, demonstrating the high technical capability of the attackers and their ability to strike anywhere and anytime, regardless of the consequences. Another point is that oil and gas fields in the Kurdistan Region still lack adequate protection systems, which is why the impact of these attacks has caused major economic consequences and significant damage to the industry. Even the Shekhan oil field, operated by the British company Gulf Keystone, decided to halt oil production due to security risks, though it has not yet been targeted. The 70 percent reduction in oil production not only harms oil companies and the Kurdistan Region's revenues from this sector, but also will directly impact oil refineries and prices of oil products, especially gasoline, in the coming days if a solution is not found quickly. Currently, except for Khurmala and Sarqala oil fields, oil production has been halted in all other oil fields in the Kurdistan Region, and it is unclear when companies will resume oil production. Mahmood Baban is a research fellow at the Rudaw Research Center. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rudaw.
Rudaw Net
3 days ago
- Rudaw Net
UK condemns drone attacks in Kurdistan Region
Also in Iraq Iraq launches probe into Wasit mall fire that killed 63 Iraq holds nationwide mourning after mall blaze kills 61 At least 50 killed, dozens missing in Iraq shopping mall fire Iraqi PM inaugurates Mosul airport on anniversary of city's liberation from ISIS A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The British Embassy in Baghdad on Friday condemned a recent wave of drone attacks in the Kurdistan Region, including strikes that targeted key energy infrastructure, as tensions between Erbil and Baghdad appear to ease following a new financial agreement. 'The UK condemns the recent drone attacks across Iraq, including those this week targeting energy infrastructure in the KRI [Kurdistan Region of Iraq],' the British Embassy said in a statement. 'These attacks threaten civilians' safety, damage Iraq's economy and undermine Iraq's stability.' The embassy urged the Iraqi government to prevent further attacks and hold those responsible to account. In the month of July, there have been at least 19 drone attacks on locations in the Kurdistan Region. Most recently, on Thursday, two explosive-laden drones crashed in Erbil's outskirts, according to the Erbil-based Directorate General of Counter Terrorism (CTD). On Wednesday, the CTD reported drone strikes on two oil fields in northern Duhok province. One hit Norwegian energy company DNO's Tawke oil field, prompting the company to temporarily suspend operations. Gulf Keystone Petroleum, which operates the Shekhan field in southern Duhok, also halted operations as a precautionary measure. A day earlier, a drone targeted the Sarsang oil field northwest of Duhok city, operated by US-based HKN Energy. The company suspended activity pending a security review and full damage assessment. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has blamed the attacks on Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), a charge Baghdad has denied. Aziz Ahmad, deputy chief of staff to Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, said in a statement on Wednesday that the Region has lost nearly 200,000 barrels of oil production due to the 'spate of drone attacks by criminal militias on the Iraqi government payroll.' The Kurdistan Region's Presidency, Council of Ministers, and Ministry of Natural Resources all strongly condemned the attacks, describing them as attempts to cripple the Region's vital oil infrastructure. They called on the federal government to hold the perpetrators to account. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Rudaw Net
7 days ago
- Rudaw Net
KRG minister slams Baghdad for failing to uphold constitutional obligations
Also in Kurdistan Explosion reported at Duhok oil field: American firm Two explosive drones intercepted southwest of Erbil President Barzani, US coalition commander talk regional security, Peshmerga reform Kurdish parties push for unity amid financial standoff with Baghdad A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region's interior minister on Monday criticized Baghdad for failing to uphold its constitutional obligations, particularly regarding paying the Region's public sector salaries, saying the salary cuts are affecting Kurdish Peshmerga forces who were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State (ISIS). 'The most pressing challenges and difficulties the Kurdistan Region faces are the continued failure of the federal government of Iraq to meet its constitutional obligations toward the Kurdistan Region, particularly in ensuring the salaries of our country's public sector employees,' Rebar Ahmed said in a speech on sidelines of Bastille Day - the French national day celebrations in Erbil. Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad escalated in late May when the federal finance ministry halted all budget transfers to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), including the salaries of over 1.2 million public employees. The ministry said the KRG had already received more than its 12.67 percent share of the 2025 federal budget and had failed to deliver its agreed share of oil to Baghdad. 'The Peshmerga forces who once protected Baghdad at the beginning of the formation of the Iraqi government after 2003 and helped defeat ISIS on behalf of the international coalition have had their salaries unfairly cut,' Ahmed stressed, further criticizing Baghdad of 'politicizing at the expense' of the Region's citizens. He emphasized that Erbil remains committed to resolving disputes within the framework of the Iraqi constitution and applicable legal mechanisms. Ahmed made his remarks during a Bastille Day ceremony in Erbil, also attended by high-ranking Kurdish officials such as Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani, and Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw, along with French Consul General to Erbil Yann Braem. He described France as a steadfast friend and longtime partner rooted in decades of shared struggle, mutual respect, and enduring support. 'When our people faced existential threats and their dictatorship during displacement or in the war against terrorism, France stood with us,' Ahmed said, adding that,' French humanitarian organizations were among the first on the ground, and the French people opened their heartsand homes to Kurdish refugees with compassion and dignity.' Braem highlighted the strong relationship between Erbil and Paris, emphasizing the Kurdistan Region's continued commitment to stability and a peaceful approach in addressing regional challenges. Through recent business forums in Paris and Baghdad, Braem said that France and the Kurdistan Region have 'strengthened our economic relationship.' In late May, officials and business leaders from Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and France gathered in Paris for a major forum aimed at boosting trade and investment ties. 'We would not have been able to achieve them without the active commitment of all our Kurdish partners - the institutions and the government of the Region, of course, but also the Kurdish companies, the associations, whose determination to strengthen our ties I want to salute today,' he said. The diplomat called for dialogue between Erbil and Baghdad to resolve outstanding disputes. He said that France supports 'Kurdish unity, along with our shared conviction that dialogue is the best means to resolve disputes, particularly with Baghdad.' On Monday, top delegations from the Kurdistan Region's ruling parties – the KDP and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – met in Erbil to solidify a united stance on key issues, including the long-running dispute with Baghdad over public sector salaries and financial entitlements. On Saturday, the KDP issued a warning and said it is giving Baghdad a 'final chance' to resolve the ongoing budget dispute.
