Mubasher: Crude oil output in Kirkuk has tumbled when two fields halted production as the Iraqi government troops pushed back Kurdish forces to regain control over the disputed area, Bloomberg reported.
The Kurdish KAR Group stopped pumping crude at the Avana and Bai Hassan deposits after technicians failed to report for work and security guards left amid the fighting, according to an official from the North Oil Company.
While the KAR Group operates the fields, North Oil Company (NOC) staff work with the Kurds at both sites, Bloomberg noted cited its unnamed sources, as the company’s employees are not authorized to speak to the media.
The halt could affect 275,000 oil barrels per day in output, according to estimates compiled by Bloomberg.
Meanwhile, the Russian energy minister Alexander Novak told journalists on Tuesday that Russian companies will be able to continue their projects in Iraq, despite the conflicts, according to Russian News Agency (TASS).
"Our companies continue to work for today and we believe that they will be able to go on with the implementation of their projects," the minister stated.
