ERBIL,— Foreign oil companies have started gradually resuming operations in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region after suspending activity amid the Middle East war, a regional government spokesperson said Wednesday, AFP reported.
The Kurdistan Region, which hosts U.S. troops and several foreign oil companies, was repeatedly hit during the conflict by drone attacks carried out mainly by Tehran-backed Iraqi Shiite armed groups. Several oil fields were struck, and many operations were shut down.
Regional authority spokesperson Peshawa Hawramani said Gulf Keystone Petroleum, a subsidiary of Britain’s Gulf Keystone, has begun production at the Shaikan field, one of the largest in the region.
He said Norway’s DNO is set to restart work at the Tawke and Peshkabir fields on Friday, while U.S. company HKN will resume output at the Atrush field on Sunday. Hunt Oil, based in the United States, is scheduled to restart operations on July 8.
Hawramani said the delays in restarting production resulted from substantial damage caused by earlier attacks on oil facilities.
Iraq, a founding member of OPEC, depends heavily on oil exports, which account for about 90% of government revenue.
Before the Middle East war began on February 28, 2026, about 3.5 million barrels per day in output under normal conditions was exported through the Strait of Hormuz.
The conflict and Iran’s blockade of the waterway disrupted shipments and forced production cuts.
Following a recent agreement between Washington and Tehran to end fighting, Iraq hopes to return to previous production levels within two months.
Officials said the region aims to stabilize output after disruptions caused by the war and earlier attacks on facilities oil facilities in region.
(With files from AFP)
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