Kurdistan oil output tops 200K bpd after strikes
Shafaq News – Erbil
Oil production in the Kurdistan Region has risen above 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) after repairs to facilities damaged in last month’s drone strikes, the Eco Iraq Observatory revealed on Saturday.
Output has resumed at the Sheikhan, Tawke, Peshkabir, Khurmala, and Sarsang fields following restoration work, though crude exports remain suspended amid a payment dispute between Erbil and Baghdad over dues owed to international oil companies.
The observatory noted the deadlock could be resolved through a three-way meeting involving the Iraqi federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and the companies, or by Baghdad directly settling the firms’ payments—an option it currently refuses.
It warned that prolonging the standoff may prompt Baghdad to withhold public-sector salaries for KRG employees, condemning such action as “unjust” and blaming parliament’s “failure” to pass a long-delayed national Oil and Gas Law.
Eco Iraq previously documented a production collapse from 280,000 bpd to about 81,000 after a wave of explosive drone attacks between July 14 and 17, 2025, which struck facilities in Duhok and Erbil, causing severe damage and temporary shutdowns but no casualties.
Although no group has claimed responsibility, local officials have pointed to Iran-aligned armed factions. Baghdad has also launched an investigation, urging the KRG to reinforce security for critical energy infrastructure.
