Energy

Iraq begins nationwide production shutdowns

With exports halted by war, Iraq has limited options to keep fields operating and has begun taking millions of barrels of daily production offline.

Oil Minister Hayyan Abdulghani (center) meets with his deputies to plan for production cuts in anticipation of a shutdown in southern oil exports on March 2, 2026. (Photo credit: Oil Ministry)

Apr 5, 2021

Production restarts at Sarqala

Days after the field was shut down because of disputes between politically connected trucking companies, the Kurdistan region has regained 30,000 bpd of production.

Apr 2, 2021

Rising oil sales fuel hopes of funding new 2021 budget targets

After passing a budget with a record-setting deficit, Iraq is banking on more months like March to meet spending goals and recover from a financial crisis.

Mar 31, 2021

Iraq revives efforts to revamp oil sector legislation

Hydrocarbons and national oil company laws get renewed push after more than a decade of political deadlock.

Mar 23, 2021

Iraq production jumps as OPEC-plus pressure eases

As oil markets enter an era of higher prices and fewer OPEC constraints, Iraq appears to be preparing a push for more market share.

Mar 19, 2021

Q&A: Ninewa Gov. Najim al-Jibouri

The military commander-turned-governor says Mosul has largely succeeded in re-establishing security — but lagging support from Baghdad is hurting the local economy, including energy investment.

Mar 16, 2021

Q&A: PUK Co-President Lahur Talabany

The co-leader of Kurdistan's second-largest party discusses politicized oil policies, factionalized leadership, security risks, and Iraq's national budget.

Mar 11, 2021

Q&A: Khor al-Zubair Port Director Ahmed Jassim al-Assadi

At Iraq's main fuel import and export hub, the the port director describes the facility's layout and activities and talks about plans to expand capacity and revenue flows.

Mar 4, 2021

Q&A: Electricity Minister Majid Mahdi Hantoush

Iraq is racing to improve electricity service in time for summer — and reduce dependence on Iranian energy imports — with new cross-border tie lines, more generation capacity, and initiatives to rein in demand.

Mar 2, 2021

Iraqi crude exports rise 4 percent in February

Bolstered by higher export volumes and rising global prices, both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan region achieved one-year highs for monthly oil revenue.

Feb 18, 2021

Iraq maintains steady output as OPEC meeting approaches

Nationwide oil production held at just over 4 million bpd in January, as Iraq positions itself for a meeting of the OPEC-plus coalition that will determine quotas for the second quarter of 2021.