Shafaq News/ Disagreements between Iraq’s federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) continue to stall crude oil exports through Turkiye’s Ceyhan port, the Iraqi Parliamentary Oil and Gas Committee revealed on Thursday.

“The Ministry of Oil has completed all procedures and informed the Turkish side of its readiness to resume exports, after latest budget law amendments, which set export volumes between 300,000 and 325,000 barrels per day (bpd),” Ali Shaddad, spokesperson for the Committee, told Shafaq News.

Shaddad criticized the KRG’s request to increase local consumption from 46,000 bpd to 110,000 bpd, calling it a “violation” of the approved budget. This is obstructing the resumption of exports via Ceyhan, he stated, emphasizing that negotiators lack authority to amend legal provisions.

“The KRG argues that meeting the agreed export volume is unfeasible, risking further delays,” Shaddad added, urging Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani’s government to enforce budgetary provisions strictly.

The federal government sees oil export laws as legal and technical matters, while the KRG approaches them politically, he noted, adding that Iraq is obligated under OPEC to export 400,000 bpd from the north, but only 300,000 bpd has been shipped, causing losses.

Meanwhile, speculation about Iraq potentially leaving OPEC has been dismissed. “These claims are false and harmful,” Shaddad said, warning that exiting the cartel would lower Iraq’s oil revenues and weaken its global standing.

A Kurdish delegation is expected to meet Iraqi oil officials in Baghdad soon to seek a resolution, a political source told Shafaq News Agency.

On Wednesday, sources cited financial disputes as a key obstacle to resuming Kurdistan’s exports. Oil firms operating in the region demand advance payments for production and transportation, while Baghdad refuses to transfer funds before resolving outstanding financial issues.