The House of Representatives’ Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee has identified eight contentious issues that are causing delays in the resumption of oil exports through the Turkish Ceyhan port.
During an interview with the “Information” agency, committee member Ali Al-Mashkour stated that eight points of contention need to be addressed with the region in order to resolve the issue at hand. Failing to address these points will only prolong the issue. Two of the eight points have already been resolved, namely that the source of oil should be considered and that “Sumo” company should be authorized to receive the funds. Sumo is a globally recognized company for exporting Iraqi oil. Additionally, the central government has a role in the oil exported from the region.
He mentioned that the pipeline is completely prepared for export. However, the difference in the quality of contracts signed with oil companies operating in the region, as compared to their counterparts in the center and south, has caused confusion. This has resulted in the first companies refusing to resume production and begin exporting through the Ceyhan port.
Al-Mashkoor noted that foreign companies are producing significantly more oil within the region than other companies. This is causing concern for the central government and Ministry of Oil, as it may cause downtime for other companies and create an unfair advantage.
