Locals blockade HKN over payment complaints

ERBIL - Texas oil firm HKN Energy has resolved a dispute outside the Sarsang block in Iraq's Kurdistan region, after armed locals blocked all entry to and exit from the site for three days.

The locals blockaded the gate to the Gara-1 well site beginning on March 29, preventing oil workers for HKN Energy and oilfield services firm Schlumberger/Pathfinder from leaving, according to security officials and an internal HKN e-mail sent April 1, which was reviewed by Iraq Oil Report. The incident ended March 31.