Energy

Northern exports flow under promising but fragile oil and budget agreement

Baghdad, Erbil, and oil companies appear to be implementing some key terms of a three-way oil export and budget deal, but ongoing success is hardly assured.

Oil tanks at Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, which is run by state-owned Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS). (UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters)

Feb 12, 2025

Q&A: Ali Qais Abdul Jabbar, director general of the Iraqi Oil Tankers Company

The IOTC chief discusses exports of heavy fuel oil and Qayarah crude, and ambitions to expand Iraq's fleet of oil tankers.

Feb 11, 2025

Q&A: Firas Habib Haider, director of Majnoon oil field

Southern Iraq's largest state-run field is developing new production capacity and working to capture more associated gas.

Feb 7, 2025

Khor Mor development continues after latest drone attack

Production and expansion work continue at key gas field after yet another attack highlights unresolved Iraqi government security failures.

Feb 5, 2025

Rumaila still reeling after large fire

Production at Iraq's largest field is still down by at least 120,000 bpd as repair crews contend with extensive damage from a Jan. 24 fire.

Feb 3, 2025

Budget amendment takes Iraq one step toward northern export restart

Parliament passed an amendment to the national budget law designed to pay oil companies in Kurdistan and unlock pipeline exports to Turkey.

Jan 30, 2025

As Genel exits Taq Taq field, new hopes for restart

Change in operator could spur new activity at the oil field, which has been offline since 2023 after a steady production decline.

Jan 25, 2025

Large fire causes partial shutdown of Rumaila production

Iraq's most prolific oil field temporarily lost about 120,000 bpd of production after 60 wells were taken offline in response to a storage tank fire.

Jan 24, 2025

Rising budget controversy endangers northern export restart

A compromise measure to pay Kurdistan's oil contractors and unlock Iraq's northern oil export route has met major political opposition.

Jan 22, 2025

Rumaila production falls on fuel shortages

A temporary but dramatic drop in output at Iraq's most prolific oil field underscores the challenges of fighting natural reservoir decline and maintaining production.

Jan 15, 2025

Iraq ends 2024 with deep production cuts

Steep reduction at Rumaila brought Iraq's December production average to its lowest level in 18 months as Iraq continues to restrain output in an effort to meet OPEC-plus expectations.