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Iraq has halted crude exports to OMV over Kurdistan
oil deals
2.2.2008
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February 2, 2008
VIENNA, -- Iraq has halted oil supplies to
Austria's OMV AG in protest over a deal between the
company and the Kurdistan regional government (KRG),
Iraq's oil minister said on Friday.
"The action has been taken from the first of
January, everything has been stopped," Iraqi Oil
Minister Hussain al-Shahristani told reporters. "We
have informed them (OMV) of that." |
OMV Petroleum Exploration GmbH |
It emerged earlier this week that Iraq has also
halted oil exports to South
Korea's SK Energy, in response to
what it says is an illegal oil exploration deal
between Korean firms and the semi-autonomous KRG.
Baghdad insists that all oil deals in Iraq must be
approved by the central government and says the KRG
deals with international companies are illegal.
"We do not comment on this," OMV spokesman Thomas
Huemer said. "We have no problem with supply."
"We, like other oil companies who have exploration
rights in northern Iraq, believe that these
agreements which are in place are in line with the
Iraqi constitution."
OMV had been buying about 10,000 barrels per day of
Iraqi Basra Light crude, an industry source said.
Iraq's Kurdistan region
awarded OMV two
production sharing contracts,www.ekurd.net
the Kurdish government said last year.
South Korea's SK had been importing 60,000-90,000
bpd of Iraqi oil under an annual contract that was
due for renewal on Jan. 1. Supplies also were halted
on Jan. 1, an Iraqi oil ministry source said on Jan.
28.
Kurdish officials have clashed with Baghdad over a
draft national oil law, which will determine how
contracts are awarded and how revenues are
distributed.
The law has stalled for months due to political
infighting after a draft was approved by cabinet
almost a year ago.
Frustrated with delays in Baghdad, the region passed
its own oil and gas law in August.
The Iraqi oil minister was in Vienna, where OMV is
based, for a meeting of the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Reuters
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