Officials from the Kurdistan Region and Dana Gas meet to resolve technical issues at the Khor Mor field following this week’s shutdown.
KRG ministries say Khor Mor output near restart after attack that took plant offline
ERBIL — The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Electricity said Saturday that most technical issues at the Khor Mor gas field have been resolved and preparations are underway to restart the flow of natural gas to power stations after this week’s attack.
In a joint statement, the ministries said a team of senior officials from both sides, along with the heads of the Diwan, the region’s power generation and grid control directorates and advisers, met with representatives of operator Dana Gas to address remaining problems.
“Most of the technical issues have been resolved,” the ministries said, adding that the goal is to resume production “as quickly as possible” and transfer gas to electricity plants “as soon as production begins.” They said the public will be informed of every development.
Khor Mor is one of the Kurdistan Region’s most critical energy assets, supplying much of the natural gas used to generate electricity across the region. The site was struck Wednesday night in a drone attack that triggered widespread blackouts in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, cutting an estimated 2,600 to 3,000 megawatts from the grid. Kurdish officials have described the assault as a direct attack on the region’s economy, infrastructure and stability.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said the strike “targets Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s economic infrastructure and public services,” calling on federal security institutions to “take urgent and effective measures” to prevent such incidents.
KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani condemned what he called a “cowardly attack” and urged both Baghdad and international partners to provide defensive support, saying such assaults “cannot be allowed to repeat.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also condemned the strike as “an attack on all of Iraq,” and he and Barzani agreed to form a joint investigative committee.
U.S. Special Envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya said the strike was carried out by “armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas,” calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice and saying the United States “supports a strong Kurdistan within a united and stable Iraq.”
The U.S. Embassy, the European Union and the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq also issued statements condemning the attack and urging stronger protection for critical economic and energy infrastructure.