Spokesman: Erbil rejected negotiations with Baghdad to resume oil exports
13/05/2012 15:16


Erbil, May 13 / May (Rn) - A spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister for Energy, Hussain al-Shahristani said on Sunday that the Kurdistan region refused direct negotiations with Baghdad on the resumption of oil exports from fields in Kurdistan.


And stopped the Kurdistan region of its oil exports beginning of April to protest non-payment of dues to Baghdad foreign companies operating in the oil region.


The government says the province on Baghdad to pay amounts up to $ 1.5 billion as receivables to companies producing oil in Kurdistan, while Baghdad agreed to pay nearly $ 560 million only.


Said Faisal Abdullah, spokesman for al-Shahristani told Kurdistan News Agency (Rn) "We wanted to conduct negotiations directly with the Kurdistan region by sending an official delegation to Erbil, but the Kurds refused to do so."


"I do not there are now negotiations. And the region's oil exports are still parked."


The Kurdistan region has oil reserves estimated at 45 billion barrels and then proceeded in 2003 put the oil fields of investment and entered into several agreements with foreign companies.


The region and its oil is pumped to the Iraqi government line that links Kirkuk Turkish port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean, but he stopped the export most of the time because of differences on the dues of companies producing and management of oil wealth.


According to the general budget of the country for the current year it was hoped that the pumping region 175 thousand barrels per day.


Abdullah said in a telephone interview from Baghdad that "the two sides (Baghdad and Erbil) in 2011 agreed on the need to provide the Kurdistan Regional Government of the Federal receipts of foreign companies operating oil production in Kurdistan," but he also said, "but did not provide Baghdad, Erbil billing so far."


"It works as long as foreign companies in Iraq have to send bills to Baghdad to be audited and then exchange entitlements."


The Federal Government does not recognize contracts signed by the Government of the Territory with foreign energy companies and says it is legal while Erbil says that Baghdad is trying to focus on the management of her own powers Altherh oil at the expense of the region and the provinces.



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