Petronas withdraws all foreign staff due to COVID-19; Iraq can replace the lost production with spare capacity at other fields.
Regulations for oil and gas companies in Kurdistan reinforce standing WHO recommendations.
The Oil Ministry is determined to avoid any impact on production, but the oil sector is being disrupted by both reduced global demand and preventative health measures.
The country faced the worst monthly average oil price in more than two years, overshadowing increased output by both federal and Kurdistan oil sectors.
Crude output remains well below capacity as the Oil Ministry continues to curtail state-operated fields.
Bashir Murad oversaw fields in the far reaches of northwest Iraq while developing high-level credentials with Baghdad.
Over several years, Iraqi Kurdistan has become a key market for Syrian crude and provider of refined fuel – a trade worth tens of millions of dollars per month.
Oil production and exports are stable in the short term, with potentially significant supply and demand disruptions if outbreak isn't contained.
Unidentified gunmen have impeded trucks from loading LPG from the Khor Mor gas field, after competition between politically connected companies.
Oil sales throughout the country declined last month, as the price of oil drops.
