The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) says it delivered nearly 19.6 million barrels of crude oil to Iraq’s state oil marketer, SOMO, in just three months. As a result, the shipments generated more than $1.2 billion for Iraq’s federal treasury.
Amanj Raheem, secretary of the Kurdistan Regional Government Council of Ministers, confirmed the figures. He said the KRG delivered 19,594,871 barrels of crude between September 27 and December 31, 2025. During this period, the average daily export volume reached about 218,000 barrels. These figures highlight the scale of KRG oil deliveries to SOMO.
Raheem explained that Brent crude averaged $62 per barrel during the final quarter of 2025. Based on that price, the oil delivered had a total value of around $1.215 billion. He added that the Iraqi Ministry of Finance officially recorded this amount as federal revenue. Therefore, KRG oil deliveries to SOMO directly supported Iraq’s public finances.
These deliveries form part of ongoing agreements between Erbil and Baghdad. The two sides aim to organize oil exports and manage public revenues more effectively. For years, disputes over oil marketing, budget transfers, and revenue sharing strained relations. However, KRG oil deliveries to SOMO remain a key condition for releasing federal budget payments to the Kurdistan Region.
Tensions have risen at times. International arbitration rulings and export disruptions through Turkey also complicated Kurdish oil flows. Still, the KRG says it remains committed to its agreements with Baghdad. Meanwhile, the federal government insists that SOMO must handle all oil exports under Iraqi law. This debate continues to shape KRG oil deliveries to SOMO.
The KRG raised fresh concerns. It said Baghdad failed to pay the Kurdistan Region’s full constitutional share of the federal budget over the past three years. According to the KRG, tens of trillions of dinars remain unpaid despite repeated agreements.
A detailed report from the KRG Media and Information Office showed that Iraq’s federal budgets for 2023, 2024, and 2025 totaled 622.6 trillion dinars. The Kurdistan Region’s legal share stood at 58.36 trillion dinars. Yet Baghdad transferred only 24.32 trillion dinars, or 41.6 percent of the amount due. The report also said Baghdad provided no funding for regional investment projects, leaving over 12.5 trillion dinars unpaid. These issues persist despite ongoing Kurdistan Regional Government oil deliveries to SOMO.
