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Kurds Clash with Central Government Over Oil Contracts
Kurds will not be allowed to export oil extracted from their fields unless they meet central government conditions on signing of oil deals, Oil Minister Hussain Shahristani said
In a press conference in Baghdad, Shahristani reiterated his government's stand that the 17 contracts the Kurds have signed with foreign oil firms were illegal.
He said signing of oil contracts is a prerogative of the central government in Baghdad.
Shahristani was reported last month to have reached an agreement with Kurds to export 100,000 barrels a day of their crude.
But the deal has collapsed over differences on royalties and rights to develop oil fields.
The Kurds say development of oil fields in their areas and collection of royalties is a right they are not going to compromise.
Shahristani says the region has no right to strike oil deals on its own and he will block exporting oil produced in the Kurdish region until the Kurds relinquished their right tKurds will not be allowed to export oil extracted from their fields unless they meet central government conditions on signing of oil deals, Oil Minister Hussain Shahristani said
In a press conference in Baghdad, Shahristani reiterated his government's stand that the 17 contracts the Kurds have signed with foreign oil firms were illegal.
He said signing of oil contracts is a prerogative of the central government in Baghdad.
Shahristani was reported last month to have reached an agreement with Kurds to export 100,000 barrels a day of their crude.
But the deal has collapsed over differences on royalties and rights to develop oil fields.
The Kurds say development of oil fields in their areas and collection of royalties is a right they are not going to compromise.
Shahristani says the region has no right to strike oil deals on its own and he will block exporting oil produced in the Kurdish region until the Kurds relinquished their right to sign deals with foreign oil firms.
The Kurds, according to Shahristani, will have to rewrite the deals they have signed to meet conditions by the central government and refrain from signing new ones without its approval.
The Kurds already get 17 percent of national oil revenues and say the royalties from oil produce in their region must go to their coffers.
Iraq currently exports 1.7 million barrels a day but Shahristani said his ministry has plans to increase exports. He did not say how or when.
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