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Iraqi parliament committee looking into
KRG-DNO row
1.10.2009
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October 1, 2009
BAGHDAD,
— Iraqi parliamentarians are
seeking information on a spat between Kurdish
authorities and oil firm DNO (DNO.OL), which
prompted the suspension of the Norwegian company's
activities in Iraq for up to six weeks.
Ali Hussain Balou, head of parliament's oil and gas
committee, said a meeting was held on Wednesday to
discuss the issue and potential irregularities, and
that the committee had asked the Kurdistan Regional
Government (KRG) for clarification.
"The oil and gas committee decided today to ask the
KRG and natural resources ministry to provide us
with a clear vision about this issue," said Balou, a
Kurd.
The KRG, which governs Iraq's largely autonomous
northern enclave of Kurdistan, suspended DNO's
activities there last week after a share deal
between the two sides was made public.
The KRG said it had done nothing wrong and the Oslo
stock exchange said the KRG was not being
investigated. Still, Kurdish officials said the
disclosure had done it "unjustifiable and
incalculable harm".
It has yet to lift the prohibition on DNO's
activities -- centred on the Tawke oilfield -- and
it is unclear what DNO must do to lift the ban. A
KRG official said on Monday talks with the Oslo
bourse were "extremely positive".
Iraqi officials in Baghdad have so far had little
involvement in the row.
"DNO is working on Iraqi soil and extracting crude
owned by all Iraqis, so we have the right to know
the rights and wrongs of the issue," said Jabir
Khalifa Jabir,www.ekurd.neta
member of parliament and secretary of the oil and
gas committee.
The committee has little sway over oil issues in
Kurdistan, which vigorously asserts its independence
on energy deals.
The two sides have long been at loggerheads over the
right to sign oil deals, territorial borders and
other issues.
Baghdad deems oil deals the KRG has signed
independently with foreign firms as illegal, despite
allowing in June exports from fields they had
developed.
Copyright, respective author or news agency,
Reuters
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