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At the DNO event on Wednesday, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Acting Minister of Natural Resources, Kamal Mohammed, told Rudaw that “some 22 million barrels of [Kurdish] oil have been delivered to [the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Organization] SOMO” for export under the tripartite agreement.

He added that “so far, nearly $214 million has been paid to [international oil] companies [IOCs] for oil production and transportation costs.”

He added that “the tripartite agreement to resume guarantees continuity of the Kurdistan Region’s oil production and ensures that exports will not be halted again.”

The KRG’s Natural Resources Minister, Mohammed, confirmed to Rudaw that with the government formation at a stalemate, “the tripartite agreement will be automatically extended again,” reassuring that Kurdish oil exports will continue without interruption.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/15012026

* Current oil production levels in the region’s fields have reached between 250,000 to 270,000 barrels per day.

* 22 million barrels of Kurdistan’s oil have been sold through the national company SOMO.

* KRG in ongoing dialogue with Baghdad

* Comprehensive plan to ensure that financial matters and budget allocations become a central foundation for future negotiations with the federal government

https://channel8.com/english/news/51820

Today, 07:22

After several years of export bans, the oil pipeline from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey has reopened. For Lundin's Shamaran, cash flow is expected to double. The oil company's CEO Garrett Soden opens up for both buybacks and dividends in an interview with the newspaper Affärsvärlden.

The fact that the pipeline to the Turkish port has now opened means that the oil companies in Iraqi Kurdistan will once again be able to sell their oil at world market price. As a result, Shamaran expects cash flow to double from about $100 million per year to $200 million.

"First, we will repay the remaining part of our outstanding bond, which should be ready in the third quarter of 2026," Garett Soden told Affärsvärlden.

"After that, we will look at dividends and share buybacks, depending on what will be the most value-creating for the shareholders," he further answers when asked what the cash flow will be used for.

He further states that Shamaran is also looking at acquisition opportunities in parallel.

"We are the only ones buying assets in Kurdistan and there are a number of companies in the region that should be consolidated to run more efficiently. I believe that there is a lot of value to be created through acquisitions," says the CEO to Affärsvärlden.

Emanuel Furuholm +46 8 5191 7925

News Agency Direct

https://www.placera.se/telegram/shamaran-vd-oppnar-for-aterkop-och-utdelning-afv-20260113

Is Gulf Keystone petroleum is sitting on a ticking time bomb or a massive payday???

https://youtu.be/3VzjFkj5_Fs?si=gie9PaXQG0nKkcVC

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdistan Region has handed over 19.5 million barrels of oil to Iraq's oil marketing arm for export through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline since the resumption of Kurdish oil exports in late September, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Cabinet Secretary Amanj Rahim told The New Region on Monday.

A tripartite agreement in late September between Erbil, Baghdad, and international oil companies (IOCs) ended a 30-month pause in exporting the Kurdistan Region's oil. The agreement, which was set to expire by the end of the year, was later extended for another three months in late December.

“The Kurdistan Region, from September 27, 2025 until December 31, 2025, has delivered 19,594,871 barrels to SOMO [Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization], at an average of 218,000 barrels per day,” Rahim said.

The total revenues from the sales amounted to over $1.2 billion, according to Rahim.

https://thenewregion.com/posts/4181

According to Shingali, around 13.5 million barrels of oil from the Kurdistan Region have been sold so far, generating an estimated $750 million in revenue. He said the Region’s oil exports are being shipped to European and American continents, with both Iraqi and Kurdish crude being sold at an average price of around $60 per barrel.

Commenting on crude quality, Shingali said that Kurdistan Region oil “used to be better” with an American Petroleum Institute (API) gravity rating of 29. “It [the rating] is lower now,” he said, explaining that producers previously added certain compounds that are no longer used. He said the oil’s current quality stands at around 27 API.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iraq/271220253

Iraq, Kurdistan renew three – month agreement for oil exports through March 31, Kurdish Rudaw reports

25 December 2025 19:07

CAIRO, Dec 25 (Reuters) – Baghdad, the Kurdish government and international companies have agreed to extend an oil export deal through March 31, Kurdistan broadcaster Rudaw quoted the director of Iraq's state oil company SOMO as saying on Thursday.

The renewal extends a three-month deal agreed in September, allowing Iraq to restart the export of oil from its Kurdish region to Turkey. Supplies had been halted for more than two years.

(Reporting by Jaidaa Taha and Ahmed Tolba; editing by Barbara Lewis) ((Jaidaa.Ahmad@thomsonreuters.com;)

ERBIL — Erbil and Baghdad are maintaining ongoing discussions regarding oil agreements, Hamdi Shingali, Deputy Director of Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Company (SOMO), confirmed on Saturday, emphasizing that cooperation between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government remains steady.

Speaking to reporters, Shingali highlighted that oil arrangements between the KRG and Baghdad face no major disputes and are being handled through continuous consultations.

He added that these agreements will be renewed in the future, signaling sustained coordination between the two sides on production and marketing matters through SOMO.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/902063

ERBIL — The US Consulate General in Erbil has reaffirmed its economic engagement with the Kurdistan Region, describing it as a key gateway for American companies seeking access to Iraq’s markets, during a high-level meeting with regional chambers of commerce on Thursday.

Acting US Consul General Caitlin Piper hosted representatives from the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Erbil, Duhok, Halabja, and Sulaymaniyah at the new US Consulate General compound. In a post on X, the consulate said the meeting reflected Washington’s view of the Kurdistan Region as a “dynamic entry point” to Iraq’s economy.

The Erbil Chamber of Commerce and Industry said its president, Geylan Haji Saeed, led the delegation, accompanied by senior representatives from the other provincial chambers. Discussions focused on expanding commercial ties, facilitating trade, and enhancing institutional cooperation between US and Kurdistan Region business communities.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901953

Saudi Arabia’s Midad Energy has positioned itself as one of the leading bidders for Russian oil giant Lukoil’s international portfolio, valued at approximately $22 billion.

The assets include oilfields, refineries, and thousands of fuel stations worldwide, attracting interest from about a dozen investors such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and private equity firm Carlyle, according to sources familiar with the matter.

https://channel8.com/english/news/50413

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Iraqi Presidency on Tuesday set December 29 as the date for the first session of the new Iraqi parliament, days after the Federal Supreme Court ratified the parliamentary election’s results.

“The Council of Representatives [parliament], elected in its sixth term, is called to convene on Monday, December 29, 2025,” read a presidency document, adding that “The session shall be chaired by the eldest member.”

Amer al-Faiz, a Sunni lawmaker from Basra, told The New Region in early December that he is set to chair the first session of the new Iraqi parliament as the eldest elected member of the legislature.

“The opening session represents a pivotal station to determine the form of the next legislative work,” said Faiz, stressing that he will assume the temporary role to ensure that “the procedures are in accordance with the constitutional and legal framework.”

During the first session, the representatives elect a speaker, a post that traditionally goes to a Sunni Arab.

https://thenewregion.com/posts/3969

ERBIL — The United States said on Friday that it is working “vigorously and swiftly” with authorities in both Erbil and Baghdad to deploy defensive systems aimed at protecting key infrastructure in the Kurdistan Region following recent attacks on energy facilities.

In a briefing with a small group of journalists, US Charge d’Affaires in Iraq Joshua Harris emphasized that excluding “Iran-backed militias and terrorist groups” from Iraq’s next government remains a core American condition for preserving a “strategic partnership.” He also urged Iraqi authorities to confront Tehran’s “illicit financing” networks and efforts to “loot Iraq’s wealth.”

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901453

The president has cited drugs as the reason for US action against Venezuela. But Sky's Ed Conway says there is an alternative economic explanation.

In some parts of the world, crude oil comes out of the ground as clear, flowing liquid. Sometimes it is green. Sometimes it is heavy, thick gloopy stuff. Oil producers have a word for these differing varieties: light, medium and heavy.

And here's the first thing you need to know. Most of America's refineries are set up to process the heavy stuff. In other words, if America is going to keep its cars fed with gasoline, it needs heavy, gloopy crude. And since it costs many, many billions of dollars to overhaul refineries, no-one particularly wants to do that anytime soon.

But the second thing you need to know is the vast majority of that oil produced in America, thanks to the shale revolution, is light crude. In other words, America's refineries are not compatible with most of the oil America produces.

https://news.sky.com/story/the-real-reason-for-donald-trumps-venezuela-exploits-13482185

NOTE for our ignorant self proclaimed experts here:

GKP's oil is of HEAVY GRADE 😎

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said on Wednesday that more than 13 million barrels of oil from the Kurdistan Region have been exported through the Turkish port of Ceyhan since the resumption of shipments.

"More than 13 million barrels of oil from the Kurdistan Region have been exported to markets via the port of Ceyhan so far, with a daily export average ranging between 200,000 and 208,000 barrels," Abdul Ghani told Rudaw.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/business/10122025

Lawmaker calls for conditioning U.S. aid on Baghdad’s actions, emphasizing that Iraq “must continue to respect the security of the Kurdistan Regional Government and stop allowing or encouraging Iran-backed puppets from attacking the KRG,”

According to Wilson, Savaya has “made clear to Iraq that business as usual in supporting Iran-backed militias will not be tolerated,” adding that the new administration seeks to “Make Iraq Great Again.”

Wilson said the U.S. Congress is prepared to reinforce that stance through new provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that, for the first time, condition aid to Iraq’s security forces on tangible steps to diminish the role of Iran-backed groups.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/880407/us-congressman-joe-wilson-urges-iraq-to-curb-iran-backed-militias-protect-kurdistan-region

ERBIL — A tanker carrying crude produced in the Kurdistan Region unloaded at the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port late last month, marking the first confirmed shipment of the Kurdish oil to the US since the reopening of the Iraq–Turkey Pipeline (ITP) two months ago.

The shipment — carried from Turkey’s Ceyhan port aboard the Seaways Brazos — was made possible by a US-brokered interim agreement in September that enabled Baghdad, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and international oil companies (IOCs) to restart exports after a more than two-year halt, according to a Washington Institute report.

Data from market intelligence firm Kpler shows that the Seaways Brazos loaded around one million barrels of Kurdistan Region crude in late October before sailing to the US Gulf Coast. Kpler and TankerTrackers expect additional tankers carrying Kurdish crude to arrive in the coming weeks.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/901005

According to nine sources cited in the Reuters report, the attacks became a turning point. They prompted the US to intensify a pressure campaign on the Iraqi government, demanding concrete action against militia influence and pushing for the restart of the Iraq–Turkey pipeline, a critical export route for Kurdistan’s oil that had been offline for more than a year.

“I think it’s safe to say Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered some tough messages to Baghdad to make it clear that a moment of choosing was at hand,” a source within the Trump administration said of the US response.

https://www.basnews.com/en/babat/900882

American companies expand across retail, energy, and services in Erbil amid strengthened KRG–US ties and the opening of the largest US consulate in the world.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/879288/us-brands-and-energy-firms-deepen-footprint-in-kurdistan-as-stability-and-investment-climate-attract-new-entrants

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iraq’s Ministry of Oil announced on Monday that it has formally invited several major American energy companies to submit bids to operate the West Qurna 2 oil field, one of the world’s largest, after years of management by Russia’s Lukoil—now under U.S. sanctions.

In its statement, the ministry said it had taken “all necessary measures to directly and exclusively invite several major American oil companies… to submit bids” for managing the giant field in southern Iraq. An oil ministry official told AFP that "The winner takes over as operator instead of Lukoil.”

Officials stressed that transferring management to a U.S. company “would benefit mutual interests, strengthen global market stability, and maintain Iraq’s oil production,” which is critical for the country’s economy.

Baghdad’s latest move signals its intention to safeguard production levels and reassure international partners of its commitment to maintaining stability on global oil markets. The invitation to American firms also reflects Iraq’s broader strategy of strengthening ties with U.S. companies as it seeks reliable partners to support its economic recovery and energy sector development.

https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/878738/iraq-invites-us-companies-to-take-over-major-oil-field-as-lukoil-faces-sanctions

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday offered support to protect the Kurdistan Region’s energy infrastructure after a drone attack forced production at the key Khor Mor gas field to halt.

“We are prepared to lend support to efforts to protect this critical infrastructure, and we will continue to underscore the importance of Iraq asserting its sovereignty in the face of attempts to undermine it, and ensuring all weapons, especially drones, missiles, and rockets, are brought under state control,” the embassy said in a strongly worded Facebook statement.

https://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/271120258