BAGHDAD,—Iraq’s Kurdistan region is currently producing 286,000 barrels of crude oil per day, according to Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani, who spoke on state television Sunday, citing secondary sources.
These sources are used by OPEC+ to monitor output, a practice stemming from previous disputes within OPEC over oil production levels among member nations.
The flow of oil from the Kurdistan region to Turkey has been halted for two years. The stoppage stems from a lack of agreement between oil companies operating in Kurdistan and Iraq’s Oil Ministry regarding the resumption of exports to Turkey.
The shipments pass through Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, but the flow remains stalled.
Minister Abdel-Ghani did not specify when exports might resume but indicated that negotiations with Kurdish regional authorities are ongoing.
According to an annual report, the Kurdistan region generated a net profit of $2.72 billion from oil sales in 2024.
Meanwhile, accusations of oil smuggling have surfaced, with some claiming that up to 400,000 barrels of oil are being illegally exported each day.
A lawmaker from the Barzani’s Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) has confirmed that oil smuggling does take place, but he rejected the reported figures, calling the amounts exaggerated. He emphasized that while illegal exports do occur, the actual volume is far lower than the claims made by critics.
Despite its oil wealth, the Kurdistan region has faced criticism for corruption. Watchdog groups and leaked documents have suggested that billions of dollars from oil revenues are unaccounted for.
The ruling Barzani clan, which controls most of the Kurdistan oil fields, and the Talabani family have faced accusations of nepotism and accumulating vast wealth from the oil trade.
(With files from Reuters | Agencies)
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