Deal with Kurdistan and steady SPM loadings help bring relatively good news to depressing year in oil sales.
Iraq's oil capital wants a greater share of power and revenue from Baghdad. Politicians have pressed the cause before, but never with such wide support.
Iraq's largest oil refinery remains offline with damage assessments incomplete, attacks continuing, and the government unable to control intake or outflow pipeline routes.
Deal to provide needed fuel and investment to Ninewa province while bringing it closer to Kurdistan.
Iraq on track to end year on upward trend for oil exports, though phantom Kirkuk sales go unexplained.
IS militants blew up an oil pipeline leading to the Baiji refinery amidst clashes south of Kirkuk.
In a rare joint appearance, the ministers of Iraq's dual oil industries expressed optimism that an interim export deal will lead to productive negotiations.
Technical teams are to assess the damage to the refinery itself, but securing crude import and fuel export routes are crucial to bringing it back online.
The Oil Ministry is preparing to negotiate a contract with BP for the long-term development of the Kirkuk field, parts of which the KRG has appropriated.
Kurdistan has taken a step toward supplying gas exports to Turkey with a new agreement to govern development of the Miran and Bina Bawi fields.
