The Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR), which represents several international oil companies in the Kurdistan Region, on Saturday said that the oil companies are ready to resume oil exports through the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline (ITP).
However, they added that exports can resume only “after agreements are reached that uphold our member companies existing contractual, commercial, and economic terms.”
“We seek written sales and lifting agreements with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that provide payment transparency and surety without political interference.”
The APIKUR member companies said they remain focused on working with all stakeholders to secure a prompt and mutually beneficial resolution.
“We agree with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s statement on February 22 that expediting oil exports through the ITP will strengthen Iraq’s economy, and meet the needs of its citizens.”
Iraq’s Ministry of Oil on Saturday announced the completion of measures to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region.
In response, the KRG negotiating delegation team on Saturday said that they are awaiting Baghdad’s final statement regarding the unification of the region’s actual oil needs and the fair distribution of financial entitlements to oil companies. “Once a response is received, oil exports will resume as soon as possible,” the KRG delegation said.
They also “stressed that before resuming oil exports, a clear and defined mechanism must be agreed upon regarding the fair allocation of financial entitlements for private companies involved in oil production and transportation in Kurdistan. This matter was discussed in previous meetings with the Ministry of Oil.”
On March 25, 2023, Kurdish crude oil exports through Turkiye were stopped after an international arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, halting 450,000 barrels per day of crude oil exports to international markets.
On February 2, the Iraqi parliament voted for an amendment to the Iraqi federal budget law stipulating the cost of extracting and transporting the Kurdistan Region’s oil, paving the legal way to resume the Kurdish oil exports.
Read More: Iraqi PM and Kurdish President Agree on Quick Resumption of Kurdish Oil Exports
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani held a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani in Baghdad on Saturday, in which both agreed on the necessity of expediting the resumption of Kurdish oil exports.
On Sunday, February 23, 2025, following coordination and communication between the Federal Ministry of Oil and the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources, both sides agreed to resume the export of Kurdistan’s oil based on the available quantity.
A joint technical team has been formed to inspect the pipelines used for exporting Kurdistan’s oil.
