Skip to main content

BATTLE FOR OIL REVENUE: IRAQI-KURDISH STANDOFF FOR KIRKUK


Battle For Oil Revenue: Iraqi-Kurdish Standoff For Kirkuk
Click to see the full-size map
The city and its oil-rich countryside are now controlled by KRG forces. In turn, government troops are aiming to restore the federal govrnment control over the area.
The KRG-linked media argues that the Peshmerga is defending a democratic will of the Kirkuk people [Kirkuk has never been an official part of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region]. The federal government says that it’s going to restore the law and order in the area.
Indeed, the oil is one of the key reasons behind  the ongoing tesnsions:
The specificity of Iraq is that oil reserves are located mainly in two areas – the north (Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk) and south (field near the ports of the Persian Gulf). The main export routes for Iraq are through the Persian Gulf and Turkish ports. Refineries are located in central Iraq (Baghdad) and near Kirkuk (Baiji refinery). So, the pipes unite ​​Kirkuk, Baghdad and ports in the south, export pipelines are sent to Turkey and Syria.
The main national strategic of oil pipeline is a pipeline from the Kirkuk fields to the Persian Gulf. The pipeline passes through the capital of the country and can be operated in reverse direction, delivering raw materials from the southern fields near the Persian Gulf to Baghdad.
The most interesting situation has already happened with the main export pipeline between Iraq and Turkey. There are two pipelines, one is controlled by the central government Iraq; the second one is built by the government of Kurdistan Region. After the commissioning of its own pipeline in May 2014 Erbil began independent supply of energy to Turkey, by passing Baghdad. Since then, Kurdish autonomy has been constantly increasing oil exports in its pipeline . In September 2015 the volume of domestic exports reached 602 th. barrels. / day.
In recent years there has constantly been a lot of problems with the export of resources to Turkey. And the main reason is blowing up pipes in the Turkish area. Only in August 2015, exports of Kurdish oil fell by 30% compared to July due to the fact that the pipeline was closed for 9 days. According to the estimates of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Kurdistan Region,in the period from July to September, the Kurdish autonomy underpaid about $ 500 million because of problems with the Turkish oil pipeline.
The pipeline is expected to be extended From Iraq to the port of Baniyas in Syria. Previously, it was used as an additional export route. However, after the beginning of the civil war, and then the onset of ISIL in Iraq, the pipeline is practically not functioning. [more about the Middle Eastern oil and gas infrastructure HERE]
The KRG sees the oil reserves of Kirkuk province as a key source of the funding for the KRG-held area. Without it, the KRG will have much less chances to success if it decleares independence from Iraq.
Battle For Oil Revenue: Iraqi-Kurdish Standoff For Kirkuk
Click to see the full-size map

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re
Post a Comment
Read more

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has
Post a Comment
Read more

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif
1 comment
Read more