Energy

Iraqi oil sales steady in August

Export levels were unchanged from July to August as authorities in Baghdad and Erbil continue talks to resume northern crude flows to Turkey.

Workers from the state-run Iraqi Drilling Company operate a rig at the West Qurna 1 oil field in Basra in August 2025. (Photo credit: IDC media office)

Apr 16, 2020

Iraq slashing allocations to largest refinery as demand plummets

The move reflects domestic storage limitations and the global demand shock that led OPEC and other producers to drastically curtail output through the rest of the year.

Apr 14, 2020

Cross-border fuel pipeline delayed by Iranian, KRG bureaucratic tangle

Red tape and rivalries have prevented the startup of a short pipeline designed to improve the efficiency of the KRG's fuel imports from Iran while mitigating coronavirus risk.

Apr 7, 2020

Government scrambles for solutions as Iraq faces financial free fall

Confronting low oil prices and a pandemic, Iraq will likely be forced to draw heavily from its foreign currency reserves while slashing oil and investment spending.

Apr 6, 2020

Oil Ministry, MPs condemn rocket attack on oil sites in Basra

Investigators say rocket attack on Iraqi and foreign oil sites was likely part of a broader conflict between paramilitaries and U.S. in Iraq.

Apr 2, 2020

March oil revenues drop sharply, but exports steady

Despite operational disruptions posed by the coronavirus crisis, Iraq maintained its pace of oil exports — but falling global prices sent monthly government revenue to a four-year low.

Mar 30, 2020

Mandatory retirement further strains Oil Ministry capacity

Senior Deputy Oil Minister Fayadh Nema is retiring – the latest top ministry official to leave his post after a new law reduced the mandatory retirement age.

Mar 30, 2020

New pipeline streamlines KRG-Iran fuel trade

A newly built cross-border pipeline is expected to begin pumping imminently, allowing Iraqi Kurdistan to continue Iranian fuel imports while reducing truck traffic and coronavirus risks.

Mar 26, 2020

U.S. tightens window on Iraq’s new sanctions waiver

Iraq's latest Iran sanctions waiver is the shortest yet – 30 days – reflecting an ongoing strain in relations between Baghdad and Washington.

Mar 25, 2020

Iraq limits production despite Saudi ramp-up

The Oil Ministry has continued to throttle back production at state-run fields with spare capacity, even as Saudi Arabia and Russia prepare to open the taps for a price war.

Mar 17, 2020

UPDATE: Gharraf field offline after coronavirus evacuation

Petronas withdraws all foreign staff due to COVID-19; Iraq can replace the lost production with spare capacity at other fields.