Reports from Iraqi media indicate that OPEC is urging the Iraqi federal government to resume Kurdish oil exports to Turkey, just a week after Baghdad announced plans to repair its own oil pipeline to Turkey, which would bypass a Kurdish pipeline that has been offline amidst diplomatic tensions between Baghdad, Erbil, and Ankara.
According to Kurdistan24 news agency, citing an anonymous source within the Iraqi Federal Oil Ministry, OPEC has made a request to Iraqi Federal Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani to authorize oil exports from Kurdistan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The reported request, described by the news agency as a “formal appeal to the Iraqi Oil Minister,” allegedly calls for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to be permitted to export 200,000 barrels of oil per day via the Turkish port of Ceyhan. The news agency further states that the request has been forwarded to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for consideration. The 1.4-million-barrels-per-day (bpd) capacity Iraq-Turkey pipeline has been offline since March of the previous year but was reportedly pumping around 450,000 bpd just before its closure.
It’s important to note that the claims of a request from OPEC have not been independently verified.
The maneuvers by Baghdad are seen as an attempt to undermine the semi-autonomous status of the KRG, with international oil companies allegedly being pressured to enter into new contracts with Baghdad for their oil and gas operations in Kurdish territory.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have indicated that the repaired pipeline, intended to replace the closed Kurdish pipeline, is expected to become operational by the end of this month. This development is viewed as a victory for Baghdad and could potentially mark the end of Kurdish semi-autonomy, a situation that may escalate tensions in the region further.