Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Erbil

Iraqi Oil Minister Basim Mohammed Khudair and Kurdistan Region acting Natural Resources Minister Kamal Mohammed Salih called for continued dialogue and coordination between Baghdad and Erbil on the oil and gas sector, the Oil Ministry said on Wednesday.

During a meeting in Baghdad, the two officials discussed several issues concerning the sector, including the draft federal oil and gas law and cooperation between the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

The talks come as Baghdad and Erbil continue implementing arrangements governing oil exports from the Kurdistan Region. Kurdish crude exports through Turkiye’s Ceyhan port resumed in September 2025 after more than two years of suspension, under an agreement placing Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) in charge of managing the Region’s international shipments.

Read more: KRG, Baghdad reach deal to restart oil exports via Ceyhan on March 18

Crude exports from the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk were running at around 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of September 7, with the KRG supplying about 70,000 bpd and Kirkuk fields accounting for the remaining 150,000 bpd.