Kurdistan details US energy deals: Not coordinated with Baghdad

Shafaq News/ The Kurdistan Region is seeking to deepen political, economic, and military ties with the United States and expand energy cooperation with American firms, the Region’s Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Mohammed said on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference in Washington, Mohammed announced the signing of two major agreements in the gas and oil sectors during the visit.

The first agreement will tap into Kurdistan’s gas fields to generate electricity not only for the Region but also for other areas across Iraq connected to the national grid, while the second deal builds on this momentum, paving the way for joint oil and gas extraction from Kurdish fields in partnership with another US energy company.

Mohammed confirmed that the contracts are structured as production-sharing agreements, consistent with previous arrangements, and noted that "there was no coordination with the federal government in Baghdad regarding these agreements." He emphasized, however, that the deals would "enhance Iraq’s infrastructure, especially the gas-related agreement."

In addition, the gas deal will help address electricity shortages in the region, support industrial sector growth, and potentially provide gas for residential use in the future.

The minister underlined that the Regional Government is actively working to expand its ties with international actors, stating, "The United States is a strategic ally of the Region, and many American companies are already operating in Kurdistan."

Kurdistan Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who is leading the official visit to Washington, oversaw the signing of the two energy agreements with US oil firms HKN Energy and Western Zagros at the US Chamber of Commerce.

According to the Regional Government, the deals, estimated to be worth tens of billions of dollars, are aimed at developing the oil and energy sectors and strengthening the Region’s economic infrastructure.