Iraqi Kurdistan—back to square one
The independence vote heralded political and economic disaster. Existential uncertainty now faces the region's oil sector
When he proceeded with the independence referendum in September, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's President Massoud Barzani misread the post-Islamic State moment, alienated international allies and stirred Baghdad's animosity. Friendless and out-gunned, the KRI's Peshmerga forces capitulated when Iraqi federal troops swept into the contested city of Kirkuk and a vast belt of disputed territories across northern Iraq in mid-October. Soon after, the KRI lost 280,000 barrels a day of oil production and around 6bn barrels in proven reserves when Iraqi forces restored Baghdad's control of the Bai Hassan oilfield and the Avana Dome of the Kirkuk field. They kicked out KRI-appointed contractor Kar Gr
Also in this section
13 March 2026
Brussels is again weighing a cap on gas prices amid the Hormuz crisis, but the measure could backfire by deterring the LNG cargoes Europe urgently needs
12 March 2026
Emergency oil stocks provide a last line of defence to oil market shocks, so the IEA’s unprecedented 400m bl release represents something of a double-edged sword
12 March 2026
LPG could rapidly expand access to clean cooking across Africa and prevent hundreds of thousands of deaths from indoor air pollution each year, but infrastructure shortages and regulatory barriers are slowing investment and market growth
11 March 2026
Missiles over Dubai and disruption in Hormuz are testing the emirate’s reputation—and shaking the energy hub at the centre of the Gulf economy
