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Iraq
says Kurdistan oil exports at 116,000 bpd after restart
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Iraq says Kurdistan oil exports at 116,000
bpd after restart
13.8.2012 |
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Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs
Hussain al-Shahristani. Photo: Reuters.
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Iraq's deputy PM says KRG
had agreed to 175,000 bpd
August 13, 2012
BAGHDAD,— Iraq's Kurdistan region has
delivered 116,000 barrels per day of crude (bpd)
since it restarted oil pumping on Aug. 7, Deputy
Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani said on
Sunday, adding the amount was below the 175,000 bpd
agreed.
Kurdistan halted its crude shipments in April due to
a payment disagreement between Iraq's central
government and the autonomous northern region which
has run its own government since 1991. The Kurdistan
Regional Government (KRG) says the central
government in Baghdad has failed to pay companies
working there.
"Until today, we have received a total of 116,000
bpd of crude oil delivered from the Kurdistan
region. This quantity is below the agreed amount of
175,000 bpd in the budget," Shahristani told
reporters.
"They should pump more than that total to compensate
for the period of time when they halted exports," he
added.
Audits should also be carried out on the companies
the Kurdistan government says must be paid,
Shahristani said.
Kurdish oil exports make up a fraction of Iraq's
shipments, but the payment dispute feeds into a
wider conflict between Iraqi Arabs and Kurds over
autonomy, oil and land that risks upsetting Iraq's
fragile sectarian balance.
Shahristani said Baghdad would also review contract
terms from its fourth bidding round, which attracted
few companies because of less lucrative conditions,www.ekurd.net
to make them more attractive to investors who had
won initial deals.
"We admit the service contract terms are tough and
are squeezing companies. For this reasons, the last
auction was not so successful," Shahristani said.
Iraq's oil output now stands at 3.2 million bpd with
the reintroduction of the Kurdish barrels, the
deputy prime minister said.
Several oil firms have struck deals with the KRG,
angering the Iraqi government which has tried to bar
companies from dealing directly with the regional
government.
Exxon Mobil became the first oil major to move into
the northern region of Iraq in mid-October 2011 when
it signed a deal with the KRG.
Shahristani said on Sunday that Exxon had agreed not
to start field work in the region without informing
Baghdad.
Copyright ©, respective
author or news agency,
Reuters
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