Energy

Northern exports flow under promising but fragile oil and budget agreement

Baghdad, Erbil, and oil companies appear to be implementing some key terms of a three-way oil export and budget deal, but ongoing success is hardly assured.

Oil tanks at Turkey's Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, which is run by state-owned Petroleum Pipeline Corporation (BOTAS). (UMIT BEKTAS/Reuters)

Sep 1, 2015

UPDATE: Oil exports and revenues drop in August

Technical problems, sabotage and political disputes caused exports to fall slightly, and revenue fell steeply along with a drop in the price of oil.

Aug 26, 2015

Workers killed, burned in Basra power plant explosion

One worker was killed and four others suffered life-threatening burns when a pipeline exploded Wednesday at the Najibiyah power plant in Basra.

Aug 26, 2015

UPDATE: Pipeline outages threaten Kurdistan oil autonomy

The KRG's economic lifeline is down again - and has been for one-third of August - as the government risks sliding into a spiral of debt.

Aug 25, 2015

Head of South Refineries Company replaced

A change in leadership at the state-run company appears to be part of a government overhaul prompted by a national protest movement.

Aug 5, 2015

Export pipeline to Turkey restarts

Iraq’s oil export pipeline to Ceyhan restarted early on Aug. 5 after more than a week offline due to technical problems and sabotage.

Aug 5, 2015

KRG exports rise, but pipeline problems loom

With independent oil sales hitting record highs, Kurdistan promises payments to cash-starved IOCs – but pipeline attacks cast a cloud of uncertainty.

Aug 4, 2015

UPDATE: July exports dip despite rising Basra output

Northern exports fall due to political disputes and pipeline outages, but federal oil sales stay near record levels.

Jul 28, 2015

Head of North Oil Company removed

Director General Sameer al-Taie's dismissal comes amidst a corruption investigation, and following the assassination of a candidate to replace him.

Jul 24, 2015

KRG to tender three new refineries

The new projects could bring 150,000 bpd of new refining capacity and help push the KRG from subsidies to market-based fuel pricing.

Jul 23, 2015

New chief for state drilling firm

Basim Mohammed Khudair, a senior South Oil Company (SOC) official, has been named acting director general of the Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC).