Iraq’s legislation doesn’t prevent oil companies from signing deals with the central government in Baghdad and with the KRG, as ExxonMobil has done, said Adnan al-Janabi, chairman of Iraq’s Oil and Energy Committee.

Speaking on the sidelines of an oil conference in London, he added, “there are no blacklists in parliament”.

“With or without the [new hydrocarbon] law, I don’t think there is anything to constrain any company from operating anywhere in Iraq … I don’t see any legality in announcing anyone as being blacklisted.”

He said he expected a first reading of the law in Iraq’s parliament next month.

As recently as September Baghdad reportedly excluded Hess Corp from participation in the fourth energy licensing round because of its contracts with the KRG.

(Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters)