Image source: Reuters
The UAE company "Dana Gas" announced the continued suspension of production in the Kormor gas field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, following a drone attack that targeted the field on Sunday evening, which led to the outbreak of a fire and the disruption of gas supplies to power plants, while the Iraqi government ordered an investigation into the attack.
The company, which operates the field, said that its teams were able to extinguish the fire, and that it was working to assess the damage resulting from the attack before resuming production, confirming that there were no injuries among the workers.
Reuters quoted two sources in the region's Ministry of Electricity as saying that one drone targeted a liquefied petroleum gas storage tank inside the facility, causing the fire to break out, while the workers were transferred to shelters inside the field following the attack.
The Ministry of Electricity in the Kurdistan Region announced that the cessation of gas supplies led to the loss of about 2,800 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, which affected the energy supply in the region.
For his part, Erbil Governor Omid Khoshnaw confirmed that the attack will lead to reducing the hours of supplying citizens with electricity, noting at the same time the availability of sufficient stocks of liquefied petroleum gas for home use, and its continued distribution normally.
Baghdad opens an investigation and Washington condemns the attack
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi directed the formation of a joint investigation committee with the competent authorities in the Kurdistan Regional Government, to uncover the circumstances of the attack and identify those responsible for it.
On Monday, the American envoy to Iraq, Tom Barrack, condemned the targeting of the field, considering it “an attack on the Iraqi people.”
In a post on the X platform, Barak affirmed Washington’s support for the efforts of the federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to identify those responsible for the attack and hold them accountable.
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No party has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
The attack comes in light of the repeated targeting of energy facilities in the Kurdistan region, as the field was previously subjected to similar attacks, while Dana Gas temporarily stopped its main production facilities last July due to security threats and regional tensions, before resuming its operations in the same month.
What is the importance of the Cormor field for Iraq?
The Kormor field is located in Chamchamal district in Sulaymaniyah Governorate, and is considered one of the most prominent natural gas production fields in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. It is operated by the UAE company Dana Gas and its partners.
The field constitutes a major source of gas used to operate power plants in Erbil, Chamchamal, and Bazian, which provide the largest portion of the region's electrical energy needs.
Its importance is highlighted by the dependence of these stations on its supplies, which makes any interruption in its production directly affecting electricity generation and the stability of the network, in addition to its importance to the Iraqi energy sector.
Iraqi-American understandings regarding the export of oil through the Strait of Hormuz
In a separate development, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein announced that understandings had been reached with the United States allowing the export of Iraqi oil through the Strait of Hormuz, using a shipping lane close to the Sultanate of Oman.
Hussein said, in an interview with Al Jazeera broadcast on Sunday, that Iraq had not been able to export its oil through the strait for more than four months due to the war with Iran, which, according to his estimates, caused losses amounting to about 60 billion dollars.
Iraqi oil exports rose in October to about 3.5 million barrels per day, compared to about 2.65 million barrels per day in September, according to Iraqi officials in the energy sector quoted by Reuters.
These understandings come in light of the continuing disturbances in shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which is a vital corridor for Iraqi oil exports, against the backdrop of the war between the United States and Iran.
Washington demands that Baghdad close most of the border crossings with Iran
In the same interview, the Iraqi Foreign Minister revealed that the US Treasury Department asked Baghdad to close all border crossings with Iran, except for two, as part of Washington's policy aimed at increasing economic pressure on Tehran.
Hussein explained that the American proposal stipulates maintaining one crossing in the Kurdistan region and another in the rest of Iraq, but the two crossings have not been determined yet, and the issue is still under discussion with the American side.
The minister warned that closing the crossings may constitute an economic punishment for Iran, but it will also reflect negatively on Iraq, by disrupting trade and movement between the two countries.
He stressed the continuation of the dialogue with Washington regarding the proposal, at a time when Baghdad seeks to achieve a balance in its relations with the United States and Iran amid the military escalation between them.
Iraq reduces the prices of selling its oil to Asia in December
In another context, the Iraqi State Oil Marketing Company, SOMO, announced on Monday that it had reduced the official selling price of Basra Medium crude exported to Asian markets during December, to become $8.80 per barrel lower than the average prices of the Oman and Dubai reference crude oils.
It also set the price of Basra Heavy crude to Asia at a discount of $11.80 per barrel compared to the same reference average.
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