Representatives of the energy sector in the governments of Turkey, Iraq and the Kurdistan region will meet today, Monday, to search for a solution to the problem of stopping the export of Kurdistan region’s oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan, which has stopped since March 25.
“The meeting will be held in Baghdad, with the participation of representatives of the Turkish Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Region, the Iraqi Marketing Company (SOMO) and the Iraqi Ministry of Oil,” said Nehru Rwandozi, deputy head of the Oil and Gas Committee in the House of Representatives.
The export of Kurdistan region’s oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan stopped on (March 25, 2023) and the volume of exports amounted to about 400 thousand barrels of oil per day, in addition to stopping the export of between 75 and 80 thousand barrels of Kirkuk oil through the same pipeline.
The export halt followed the decision of the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitration court.
Rwandozi added, “The main obstacle to resuming the export of the Kurdistan region’s oil is a complaint filed by Iraq against the export of the region’s oil through the Turkish port of Ceyhan from 2019 until the time the export stopped, as it demands compensation amounting to about two billion dollars.”
The deputy head of the Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee said: “Turkey is asking Iraq to withdraw its second lawsuit, in order to avoid paying compensation.”
Source: National Iraqi News Agency