Row over oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdish northhttps://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news%5C2009-10-18%5Ckurd.htm]
Row over oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdish north
By Fatima Kamal
Azzaman, October 18, 2009
Differences over the proceeds emanating from Kurdish oil exports is widening the gap between the central government in Baghdad and Iraqi Kurds.
A Kurdish leader has called for calm as a Kurdish decision to halt exports has increased tensions between the sides.
Mahmoud Othman, a senior Kurdish figure leading the coalition of major Kurdish factions, urged both sides to resort to “wisdom”, however, he said “the issue of oil deals is a thorny one.”
The Kurdish decision to suspend exports via the federal pipeline network was taken by the Kurdish regional government’s minister of natural resources, Ashti Horami.
He said the decision was over central government’s refusal to pay for foreign oil firms working in the region.
The Kurds are reported to have the capacity of producing up to 100,000 barrels a day which they shipped through the twin-pipeline via Turkey to international markets.
The government collects the proceeds but, despite its acceptance to carry crude produced in the Kurdish region, it says it does not recognize the deals the Kurdish regional government has signed with foreign firms.
The head of the oil and gas commission at the Iraqi parliament was furious over the halt of Kurdish exports.
Abdulhadi al-Hasani described the decision as “serious”, and urged the parliament to summon Horami for questioning.