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Showing posts with the label Oil & Gas

Iraqi Kurdistan at a Strategic Crossroads: Political Fragmentation, Security Vulnerabilities and the Erosion of Regional Autonomy

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Iraqi Kurdistan faces growing political fragmentation, security vulnerabilities and external pressure threatening its federal autonomy. Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj, Founder of Kurdish Policy Analysis Iraqi Kurdistan is entering a consequential period in its post-2003 political history. The Kurdistan Region, which spent decades establishing its federal status, developing autonomous institutions and building international partnerships, is now confronting a convergence of political, security and geopolitical pressures . The escalating confrontation between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), the incomplete institutional integration of the Peshmerga, the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces from Erbil, and repeated attacks against critical energy infrastructure are exposing vulnerabilities that extend beyond the region's internal political arrangements. These developments are interconnected. Political fragmentation weakens the region's negotiat...
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Kurdistan’s energy security: control the energy, or lose the leverage

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis I have never heard of energy security in Kurdistan. Energy security is the essence of every country's security. In many countries, it is seen as part of national security. While every country has its own energy security, based on geography, capacity, availability and other areas, energy security in general has two pillars: energy sustainability, with affordability. Security is thus about thinking about how to deal with an interruption in the supply or availability of energy, and how to keep the price stable so that it does not cause an inflationary crisis. Energy security will not be easily achieved in the kurdistan region because it does not have its own security decisions. But this does not mean that work cannot be done in this direction. I will briefly make some points: First, start thinking about energy security and its dimensions in Kurdistan from the perspective of society, not the market or companies. Second, there are la...
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KRG Opens Fuel Imports: Why Kurdistan's Gasoline Decision Could Signal a New Energy Strategy

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     Facing rising demand, higher prices, and regional supply shocks, the Kurdistan Regional Government has authorized gasoline imports—a move that could reshape fuel markets, strengthen energy security, and redefine its economic management. The Kurdistan Regional Government's decision to authorize gasoline imports may appear to be a short-term response to rising fuel prices, but its significance extends well beyond the pump. At its core, the decision reflects how governments increasingly view energy security not merely as an issue of production, but as one of supply chain resilience, market stability, and economic governance. With domestic gasoline production unable to meet growing demand, Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Mohammed Salih directed authorities to facilitate gasoline imports while ensuring compliance with government quality standards. The objective is straightforward: increase supply, stabilize prices, ...
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Iraq begins oil leadership reshuffle, including major corruption arrest

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Iraq’s Oil Kingdom Under Siege: Leadership Purge, Corruption Arrests, and the Battle for Control of Baghdad’s Most Powerful Industry By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Sulaimani, Iraqi Kurdistan, Kurdish Policy Analysis — 4 June 2026 As Iraq’s new political order consolidates power, sweeping changes inside the oil ministry—including the arrest of a senior official—signal a deeper struggle over corruption, patronage networks, and the future of the country’s economic lifeline. Iraq’s new government has launched a major reshuffle in the oil sector, highlighted by the arrest of senior official Adnan Hamad Hmoud. The moves reveal a broader battle over corruption, political influence, and control of Iraq’s most strategic industry. Iraq’s oil sector has long been described as the beating heart of the nation’s economy. It generates more than 90 percent of government revenue, finances the state apparatus, sustains public-sector salaries, and underpins Baghdad’s regional influence. Yet beneath the surfac...
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Baghdad moves to secure LPG supplies amid Strait of Hormuz tensions and regional energy shocks

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Iraq Rushes Emergency Gas Imports as Iran War Disruptions Threaten Energy Stability.  Kurdish Policy Analysis  ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq’s oil ministry said Wednesday it will import an additional 200,000 tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to prevent potential shortages as disruptions linked to the suspended Iran war have affected trade and production. Abdul Sahib al-Hassnawi, spokesperson for the ministry, told local media that the prime minister has approved the imports as a precautionary measure. He said Iraq’s current gas production “is stable,” standing at around 4,700 tons daily, adding the “amount is completely equivalent to domestic consumption.” He also noted that the ministry has 50,000 tons in reserve. Since February 28, when the war between the US, Israel, and Iran began, oil and gas production has been disrupted across several fields in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, including the strategic Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, a key electricity suppli...
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The Development Road: Iraq's emerging geopolitical position between Türkiye, Iran, the Gulf and the Kurdistan Region

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Iraq’s Development Road faces political, security and regional challenges involving Kurdistan, Türkiye, Iran and Baghdad’s state capacity. The Development Road is not simply as an infrastructure or trade project, but  a geopolitical corridor whose success depends on unresolved Kurdish, Turkish, Syrian and Iranian dynamics. One can identify three Kurdish-related issues as particularly important to the corridor's political viability: Baghdad–Erbil disagreement over the northern route through the Kurdistan Region. The Türkiye–PKK peace process and its implications for northern Iraq. The future status and integration of the Kurdish-led SDF in Syria. In this article I also examine Iran's position, arguing that Tehran has so far avoided outright opposition partly because Iraq presents the project as potentially compatible with Iranian connectivity through the Basra–Shalamcheh rail link. Iraq and Türkiye completed a framework draft agreement on transport infrastructure on September 21...
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The Kurdish Referendum: Between Defeat and Achievement

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  Nine years after Kurdistan’s 2017 referendum, its political, economic and strategic consequences remain deeply contested. Nine years after the Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum, debate over the referendum and its consequences for the Kurdistan Region continues. Supporters regard it as a historic achievement, while its opponents see it as a factor that weakened the Region’s position within the framework of Iraq. On September 25, 2017, the referendum process was held in the Kurdistan Region and the disputed territories. At the time, the authorities of the Kurdistan Region claimed that the process was intended to pave the way for “independence” and “separation” from Iraq. However, less than a month later, the political balance shifted dramatically against the Region. When the referendum was held in the Kurdistan Region, most political parties and factions supported the process. However, less than a month later, when the Iraqi military operation against the disputed territor...
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As 30 September Deadline Nears, Washington’s Kurdish Partnerships Face a New Test

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Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj  Washington’s September 30 withdrawal deadline marks a new test for U.S. partnerships with Kurdish actors in Iraq and Syria. The 30 September deadline marks an important moment in the changing relationship between Washington and its Kurdish partners in Iraq and Syria. On that date, the United States is due to complete the withdrawal of its remaining coalition forces from Iraq, while the Pentagon’s memorandum of understanding with the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga is set to expire. The deadline represents another stage in Washington’s effort to reduce its military footprint in the Middle East and place greater responsibility for regional security on local and regional actors. The withdrawal timetable has been confirmed by Baghdad, while Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said that Iraq aims to complete the disarmament of Iran-aligned militias by 30 June 2027, separating the coalition’s departure from Baghdad’s longer effort to establish state control over armed groups...
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