Drone attacks and rising security threats have forced several oil companies in the Kurdistan Region to suspend production. Energy researcher Dr. Shwan Sharai says the Region now produces fewer than 100,000 barrels of oil per day.
Dr. Sharai teaches at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, and works as a researcher at the Ziya Jafar Energy Center. He said the recent attacks have badly affected oil and gas production across the Kurdistan Region and Iraq.
ShaMaran Petroleum, HKN Energy, Dana Gas and Gulf Keystone Petroleum have temporarily stopped operations. Dr. Sharai said the closures at the Atrush and Sarsang fields cut daily output by about 44,000 barrels. The shutdown at the Shaikan field caused another loss of nearly 45,000 barrels per day. Reports also claim that the Norwegian company DNO has suspended its work.
Before the latest shutdowns, the Kurdistan Region produced about 150,000 barrels each day. Production has now dropped below 100,000 barrels. The Region uses around 50,000 barrels for local demand. It transfers the remaining amount to Iraq’s State Organization for Marketing of Oil, known as SOMO, for export.
Dr. Sharai believes the attacks may carry a political warning to Iraq’s prime minister. He said the message may seek to discourage closer ties with the United States. He also noted that some attacks damaged oil facilities in Basra.
After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, Dr. Sharai warned Iraq against relying only on Basra. Most Iraqi oil exports pass through this route. He urged the government to use alternative pipelines. These routes link Basra with Haditha, Banias, Aqaba and Turkey’s Ceyhan port. Such options could protect oil exports from future disruptions and reduce the risk of a complete halt during regional tension and growing uncertainty.
