U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt on May 16 visited the Kurdistan Region and was welcomed by Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani before a joint visit to the Mass Global power plant in Pirdawd and the Khurmala power and refinery facilities operated by Kar Group in Erbil.
In this cabinet, we have:
— Masrour Barzani (@masrourbarzani) May 16, 2024
• Doubled gas production
• Built the biggest flare-to-power plant in the Middle East
American companies and @DFCgov financing have played a crucial role.@AsstSecENR and I agreed on the need to resume oil exports. The stoppage has cost over $15bn. pic.twitter.com/P7VfOvWs8x
“We discussed advancing energy sector collaboration, opportunities to invest in clean and renewable energy projects, and plans to improve the electricity sector for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,” Prime Minister Barzani said in a statement.
“We both agreed on the importance of restarting Kurdistan’s oil exports, as their suspension has resulted in significant economic loss for Iraq in general.”
On March 25, 2023, independent oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through Turkiye were halted after a Paris-based international arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara.
Prime Minister Barzani also thanked the United States for its support in advancing the energy sector in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt reaffirmed his country’s support for a strong and prosperous Kurdistan Region within a federal Iraq. He commended the progress of the Kurdistan Region’s energy industry, highlighting its alignment with global standards.
Assistant Secretary Pyatt also thanked Prime Minister Barzani for the invitation to see this part of the Kurdistan Region. “I must say today’s visit has left a powerful impression on me in terms of the energy abundance of this region, its importance to the energy self-sufficiency of all Iraq and also the degree to which we all are navigating some of the same challenges.”
He remarked that the facilities here reminded him of several U.S. oil-producing areas, likening this region to Oklahoma.
On May 15, the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR) welcomed the visit of Assistant Secretary Pyatt as another strong signal about “the imperative for governmental leaders in Baghdad and Erbil to follow through with their stated goal of restoring oil exports through the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline.”
? APIKUR welcomes the visit of Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, to Iraq as another strong signal about the imperative for governmental leaders in Baghdad and Erbil to follow-through with their stated goal of restoring oil…
— APIKUR (@apikur_oil) May 16, 2024
“We understand that Ambassador Pyatt’s meetings with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani and KRG Prime Minister Barzani are a continuation of recent discussions held in Washington, D.C., and the Munich Security Conference,” APIKUR said.
“As Iraq’s Ministry of Oil recently completed two oil field licensing rounds, APIKUR notes there is already underutilized oil production and export capacity from the Kurdistan Region that will help Iraq achieve its short-term and long-term export goals.”
APIKUR, which represents several international oil companies in the Kurdistan Region, also said that its member companies “are prepared to resume exports, contingent upon reaching agreements that provide for payment surety for past and future exports and preservation of commercial and economic terms.”
“Ambassador Pyatt’s visits to both Baghdad and Erbil underscore the importance of immediate and cooperative action by all stakeholders to restore exports through the Iraq-Turkiye pipeline,” said APIKUR Spokesperson Myles B. Caggins III.
“APIKUR’s member companies remain eager to resolve the export impasse and would welcome an invitation to participate in the process.”
According to an earlier statement from the U.S. Department of State, while in Erbil Assistant Secretary Pyatt would engage with “senior leaders in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) to advance opportunities to support Iraq’s clean energy transition and will discuss the important role IKR natural gas resources could play in support of Iraq’s energy autonomy.”
“In both Erbil and Baghdad, Assistant Secretary Pyatt will discuss resuming Iraq’s oil exports via the Iraq-Turkiye Pipeline to offset decreases in Russian oil exports to Europe.”
