Kurdistan to complete oil export pipeline soon

The establishment of this line has angered the central government in Baghdad, which also does not recognize the contracts signed by Kurdistan with international energy companies to develop its oil fields.

The region stopped pumping oil into the pipeline that connects Kirkuk to Turkish port of Ceyhan since last year to protest against Baghdad for not paying dues of foreign companies in Kurdistan.

The Minister of Natural Resources in KRG, Ashti Hawrami said in a statement released by KRG site, briefed by “Shafaq News “that “oil export pipeline project from Kurdistan Region will be completed soon.

Hawrami expected at a meeting on addressing energy security hosted by the Representation of Kurdistan Regional Government in Britain, running the pipeline by the end of this year.

Days ago, Baghdad said that it has demanded Kurdistan to connect the new pipeline between Kirkuk and Ceyhan in Turkey to allow Baghdad measure the level of crude flow.

But Kurdistan responded by saying that it will resort to export oil away from the federal government if Baghdad did not pay dues of the oil companies operating in Kurdistan.