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South Kurdistan oil & gas development
Topic Started: Nov 17 12, 1:25 (649,159 Views)
ALAN
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Stuff you Iraq Kurds have had enuff of 90+ years of forced coexistence it's time Kurds do their own thing in Hewlêr and quit Baghdad which has brought nothing but chaos and destruction to Kurdistan....

:thumbs:
Posted Image
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Some comments on the article above :)

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^^ haha
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Germany and Italy bought Kurdistan confederation oil from Ceyhan port

http://knnc.net/Drejey-hawal.aspx?id=11291&LinkID=1&video=False&leguaid

vic
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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Şirnex
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great news. how much barrel per day KRG is able to export actually?
(dont mean how much they really do or the quantity for payments they receive from bagdad)
Edited by Şirnex, May 24 14, 9:02.
talabani = jash
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Zagros
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Iraq sues Turkey over Kurdish oil shipments

BAGHDAD: Baghdad launched legal action against Ankara Friday after oil from Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan Confederation was exported to international markets without the central government’s consent, potentially worsening already-poor ties between the neighbors.

The sudden decision to call for arbitration by Iraq, which came after shipments began on Thursday evening, is the latest move in a years-long row in which Baghdad has insisted it has the sole right to export Iraqi crude.
The dispute over the exports, which the US has said could further destabilize Iraq, also throws into doubt Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s bid for re-election after polls last month, with his campaign expected to hinge on whether or not he can secure Kurdish backing.

The central government’s oil ministry said in a statement that it has “filed a request for arbitration against the Republic of Turkey and its state-owned pipeline operator BOTAS ... with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris.”

“By transporting and storing crude oil from Kurdistan, and by loading that crude oil onto a tanker in Ceyhan, all without the authorization of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Turkey and BOTAS have breached their obligations under the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Agreement,” it said.

The ministry said it was asking the ICC to order Turkey and BOTAS to “cease all unauthorized transport, storage and loading of crude oil,” and added it was seeking financial damages of more than $250 million.

http://www.arabnews.com/news/575951?
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Zagros
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Washington concerned over Hewlêr ’s oil exports, says spokeswoman

Washington is concerned over the export of south Kurdish oil to global markets via Turkey’s Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki has said.

“Our position has long been that we don’t support exports without the appropriate approval of the federal Iraqi government, and certainly we do have concerns about the impact of those [exports] continuing,” Psaki said during a press briefing May 22.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yıldız announced that 1 million barrels of Kurdish Iraqi crude oil was being loaded onto a tanker in Ceyhan, without specifying the names of buyers.

When asked about the minister’s statement, Psaki said, “Our most immediate concern is for Iraq’s stability,” asserting the country would discuss the implications with “our partners in Turkey and in the Kurdistan Confederation .”

“Iraq is facing a difficult situation. We’ve been clear that it’s important for all sides to take actions to help the country pull together and avoid actions that might further exacerbate divisions and tensions. So we’ll be in touch with both sides,” she said.

The sale is likely to infuriate Baghdad, which has been at loggerheads with the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over the sharing of oil revenues, and denounced Turkey’s courtship of the Kurds, warning that steps toward Kurdish economic independence could threaten Iraq’s sovereignty.

After five months of talks and little progress, however, tanks at Ceyhan are full with 2.5 million barrels of Kurdish oil, and Turkey decided there was no point in further obstructing exports, sources familiar with the sale told Reuters.

Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) issued a statement late May 22, calling the loading of oil from Ceyhan “an illegitimate deed of the Turkish authorities.”

It said both the Oil Ministry and SOMO “reserve the right to take all legal measures against any company or entity” that loaded Iraqi crude from Ceyhan without Baghdad’s approval.

In late 2013, Iraq’s Oil Ministry instructed a U.S. law firm to pursue legal action against any buyer of Kurdish oil.

May/23/2014

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nID=66865&NewsCatID=348
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ALAN
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Nationalisation of Kurdish Oil & Gas – Kurdish Oil Report

Written on May 22, 2014 by Editor in Gas, Kurdistan, Oil

By Shawan Dizayee:
@ShwanKamiran

The Oil & Gas industry is at an embryonic stage in the Kurdistan Confederation of Iraq, with several Production Sharing Contracts (PSCs) being given to major industry giants such as ExxonMobil and Shell, but this is not enough. Nationalisation of oil is paramount for social integrity and economic stability. Nationalisation of oil and gas means state-ownership of these commodities, from the E & P (exploration and production) stage through to the finance and decommissioning. You may think this is what we have in Kurdistan, but that is far from the case. Although the financial facet is currently dealt with by the Ministry of Natural Resources, we lack a National Company that can work to compete with the thriving private sector, providing a strong technical perspective, safeguarding the reserves, and focussing on reservoir integrity and environmental impacts. NOCs (National Oil Companies) currently control around 90% of the global reserves and it is of paramount importance that a Kurdish NOC is established.

The success of NOCs, such as British Petroleum (previously known as the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company) and Gazprom, is a testimony to their sheer importance in protecting national interests. There is no reason why their rich, successful history can’t be emulated and surpassed by Kurdistan which is undoubtedly at an advantage, with one of the richest oil reserves, and lucky in the sense that the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt cuts through Iraq, where one of the world’s most compact oil areas, the Kirkuk Embayment, lies. Political malignancies aside, this must be exploited.

We need a National Kurdish Oil Company that will work in conjunction with the Ministry of Natural Resources and is in part government owned. Only then can Kurdish employees thrive and their expertise to excavate and process the crude oil be fully exploited. We should not rely on another nation to sell our locally-produced natural resources; we should attract the tenders from our own capacity. This would be evidence of a more stable, independent nation that speaks the languages of the world. It would also safeguard the rights of the Kurdish people, their rights to better living conditions and to National Ownership. This can be further propelled by a thriving Stock Market, with the Erbil Stock Exchange (ESX) due to open in the later part of this year; in the distant future a significant amount of the Company’s shares can be sold as Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) as well as allocating a certain percentage to all employees as part of a Shares Sharing Scheme.

Capitalism encourages privatisation which is all well and good, as British PM Margaret Thatcher successfully proved during the 70s and 80s, but this system only benefits a selected few in the short term, as the current economic degradation in the United Kingdom shows. The capitalists become richer whilst the poor labourers and working class grow poorer. If implemented successfully, nationalisation can remove exploitation of the minority, and reduce inequality, providing a system that distributes the wealth in a uniform way. It also negates unhealthy competition where big powerful companies try to oust smaller rivals, and checks corruption, which is of paramount importance in a region such as Kurdistan.

Social development and responsibility should be held with utmost regard since foreign companies will often overlook this with the notion, ‘We aren’t from here.’ Surrounding villages will benefit from a National Organisation in the form of land reparations and funding for local schools and charities, as the KAR Group has shown in the past few years, although it regards itself as a privately owned company. It can also be used as a bridging mechanism to build better ties with our disgruntled neighbours and political players such as Iraq, in rather the same way as British Petroleum did in the 1960s (in a post-colonial era) with the East and wealthy West. With the current spike in fuel prices due to the approaching peak oil stage, price regulation is another valuable tool that would be most effectively implemented by an NOC.

In conclusion, I believe a limited number of contracts should be dispersed amongst international companies, with the bulk of them reserved for the National Oil Corporation and other native subsidiaries. Nationalisation presents a system that aims to satisfy all the stakeholders involved. This will help with the transparency of sales, as well as keeping a tighter grip on our reserves. I believe natural resources have been placed on this Earth in abundance for a purpose, to be utilised and developed to their fullest potential at a sustainable rate.

Shwan Dizayee is a student in his penultimate year of Chemical Engineering. His interests lie within the Oil & Gas industry, and more specifically it’s socio-political effects in the Kurdistan Confederation . Being a young Kurd in the diaspora, he like many others strives towards a more cemented Kurdish establishment and hopes to return to his home country one day in the near future.

http://kurdistantribune.com/2014/nationalisation-of-kurdish-oil-gas-kurdish-oil-report/
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Statement by Kurdistan Regional Government in Response to Federal Ministry of Oil Announcement

Erbil, Kurdistan Confederation (KRG) - The Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq (KRG) understands, from a media announcement on 23 May 2014, that the Ministry of Oil of the Federal Government of Iraq (MOO) has filed a “Request for Arbitration” against the Republic of Turkey and a Turkish state-owned entity.

The motive of the MOO is, according to the announcement, to prevent the export of crude oil from the Kurdistan Confederation of Iraq through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

The MOO’s behaviour is inconsistent with previously established and accepted practice. It threatens Iraq’s oil export capacity and Iraq’s global diplomatic standing. The MOO also threatens Iraq’s relations with global oil traders and buyers. The MOO is acting in violation of the 2005 Iraq Constitution, in violation of Iraqi law, and in violation of international law. Its threats will fail.

MOO is inconsistent with established practice

The MOO’s announcement is inconsistent with established practice and policy on KRG oil exports.

The KRG has, with Federal Government knowledge, been exporting oil by trucking through Turkey and Iran for many years. This new pipeline export by the KRG is wholly consistent with the Constitution.

There is no clear reason why the MOO should now depart from established practice in circumstances where the KRG is increasing Iraq’s exports by pipeline at reduced transportation costs.

The MOO’s behaviour is a new and flagrant defiance of the KRG’s established rights under the Iraqi Federal Constitution.

MOO is violating the Constitution

The MOO’s behaviour is in violation of the Iraqi Federal Constitution and the KRG’s unequivocal constitutional rights.

In particular:

1. Neither the MOO, nor the MOO’s oil marketing agency SOMO, nor any other Federal Government agency, has exclusive authority under any provision of the Constitution, including Article 110, over the exploration, production, or export of oil and gas from the Kurdistan Confederation .

2. The KRG has an exclusive authority under Article 112 and Article 115 of the Constitution to manage oil and gas in the Kurdistan Confederation extracted from fields that were not in production in 2005 (“new fields”). All of Kurdistan’s export oil comes from new fields.

3. The KRG authority over the management of oil and gas includes the management of export. Because oil export is not an exclusive authority of the Federal Government, it is, in relation to Kurdistan oil and gas produced from new fields, an exclusive authority of the KRG.

4. The Federal Government has the qualified right, if it is sharing revenue in accordance with the Constitution, to jointly manage oil produced from fields that were developed pre-2005 in Kurdistan with the KRG (Article 112). However, no Kurdistan export oil comes from pre-2005 fields. In any case, largely because the MOO has been misleading the Federal Government, the Federal Government has not been sharing revenue in accordance with the Constitution.

5. The KRG has the right to receive revenues from its oil and gas exports directly from the purchasers of that oil and gas. The KRG has on numerous occasions indicated that it is prepared as a voluntary measure to share those revenues with the Federal Government if the Federal Government itself shares revenues in accordance with the Constitution. The KRG has shown such flexibility despite the fact that it has no obligation under Article 112, or any other provision of the Constitution, to share its revenues from new fields with the Federal Government. Article 115 of the Constitution, which establishes the KRG’s exclusive authorities, governs revenues from new fields.

MOO is misleading the Iraqi Federal Government

The MOO’s behaviour in launching the arbitration against Turkey is not only inconsistent with the Federal Government’s policy and practice on KRG oil exports, and in contravention of Iraqi law.

Unfortunately this behaviour is also part of a pattern in which the MOO misleads the Federal Government and the Federal Parliament.

In particular:

1. The MOO has consistently misrepresented to the Federal Government the extent and nature of the KRG’s oil exports.

2. The MOO has consistently misrepresented to the Federal Government the scale of the KRG’s direct receipts from oil and gas sales. Most importantly, the MOO has neglected to report to the Federal Government that the vast majority of the KRG’s oil export revenue is received directly by SOMO. The benefits of the KRG’s export have been accepted by the Federal Government and enjoyed by all Iraqi citizens.

3. The MOO’s misrepresentations have prevented the Federal Government from sharing revenues in accordance with the Constitution and has caused the Federal Government to wrongly restrict the KRG’s allocation of federal funds and annual budget entitlements.

In these circumstances, the KRG asserts its constitutional right to receive Kurdistan oil export revenue directly. The KRG is prepared, as always, to account to the Federal Government for its petroleum receipts, provided that the Federal Government itself shares revenue in accordance with the Constitution.

The KRG will not allow Kurdistan Confederation petroleum to be the subject of arbitrary and discriminatory export prohibitions.

MOO is isolated and will fail

The MOO is, with its behaviour, isolating itself. The MOO is, with its announcement, potentially damaging Iraq’s petroleum industry and Iraq’s petroleum revenues.

The MOO is also, if the 23 May announcement is accurate, now prepared to damage Iraq’s relations with Turkey and other friends of Iraq.

The MOO has, in the past, taken similar self-defeating steps. In particular, it tried to protest against the exercise by the KRG of its lawful authority over the exploration and development of new fields in the Kurdistan Confederation .

The MOO’s efforts to blacklist oil and gas companies investing in the Kurdistan Confederation have failed. Since the KRG’s 2007 Oil and Gas Law, the KRG has entered into more than 50 production sharing contracts with oil and gas companies from some 23 countries around the world, including Turkey, the USA, the UK, France, Norway, Russia, China, South Korea, Canada and Australia.

All of Iraq’s neighbours, all of Iraq’s friends, and indeed the Iraqi Government as a whole, understand the Iraqi Constitution. The MOO should step into line. The MOO should cease its unhelpful practices and engage in constructive dialogue with the KRG.

MOO’s arbitration is illegitimate

The MOO’s behaviour tries to transform a matter of settled Iraqi constitutional law into an international dispute. These efforts are misguided and can only harm the Federal Government. The MOO has not even attempted to raise its concerns with the KRG or Turkey through polite dialogue as required under the Iraq-Turkey pipeline agreement.

The KRG will vigorously defend its rights under the Constitution. Any arbitration between the MOO (or any other Iraqi agency) and Turkey regarding the export of oil from the Kurdistan Confederation of Iraq that does not include the KRG in such arbitration is illegitimate, against Iraqi constitutional law, and against international law.

KRG: business as usual

The KRG assures its contractors and international partners, including transporters and traders, that it will not allow hollow threats from the MOO to interfere with the KRG’s oil export regime. The MOO and SOMO have been made fully aware of the KRG’s international shipments of crude oil. MOO’s recent harassment of crude oil transport ships is futile and must cease.

The KRG will continue to act in accordance with the Iraqi Constitution, with the best interests of the people of Iraq, and with the KRG’s policy of friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all Iraq’s neighbours, including Turkey.

The KRG warns against any internationalising of this Iraqi domestic constitutional issue by attempting arbitration processes obstructing the KRG’s constitutional right to sell its oil to the international market.

The KRG remains, as always, ready to engage with its responsible partners in Baghdad to resolve any internal Iraqi oil and gas matters.

Industry and media inquiries: contact@mnr.krg.org
http://mnr.krg.org/index.php/en/press-releases/374-statement-by-kurdistan-regional-government-in-response-to-federal-ministry-of-oil-announcement
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Turkish energy Minister: Selling Kurdistan’s oil is constitutional

25.05.2014
Mewan Dolamari

Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz pointed out that the selling of Kurdish oil is constitutional and that the revenue will benefit both Iraq and the Kurdistan Confederation .

Yildiz explained that when Iraq’s Minister of Oil Abdul Karim Luaibi visited Turkey, they discussed Kurdistan’s exportation of 100,000 oil barrels to Turkey and a fair distribution of the revenue.

He also said that they will meet with Iraqi officials to discuss the situation and is hopeful that the problem will not deteriorate further, claiming that the oil that is being sold is Iraq’s oil and that the income with be transferred to HalkBank and distributed fairly.

Based on the Iraqi constitution, 83% of the oil income will be for areas under the control of the federal government and 17% for areas under the control of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Yildiz also mentioned that they would never make a move that would break their agreement, particularly in regards to the Yumurtalk oil pipeline from Kirkuk.

copyright © 2013 basnews
http://m.basnews.com/en/News/Details/Turkish-energy-Minister--Selling-Kurdistan-s-oil-is-constitutional/21347
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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KRG suggests US remains silent regarding Kurdish oil exports

Following the US expressing its concern regarding the Kurdistan Confederation ’s independent oil sales, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced that the decision to sell oil is in the hands of the Kurds.

The head of the KRG Department of Foreign Relations Falah Mustafa said that while Europe has understood Kurdistan’s decision to export oil the US has not and he respects America’s stance.

Mustafa pointed out that Kurdish decisions are in the hands of the Kurds and expressed hope that the US would understand the political affairs and not intervene in the tensions between Erbil and Baghdad or take sides.

“We believe it is better for the US to choose silence,” said Mustafa.

He said that European countries view the KRG’s dealing of oil affairs as a successful one. Until recently the Kurdistan Confederation was unable to extract oil while today it is producing and exporting to the international market.

Mustafa told the official website of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): “We have told the whole world including Baghdad that if they want us to stay and work together, they have to follow the constitution because the time has gone when the decisions are made in the central government by someone that is not Kurdish.”

On May 23 KRG officially announced its first oil export through Turkey’s Ceyhan port and announced that one million oil barrels are being sold to Germany and Italy.

copyright © 2014
http://m.basnews.com/en/News/Details/KRG-suggests-US-remains-silent-regarding-Kurdish-oil-exports/21231
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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Worldwar2boy
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HAHAHAHAHA

f**k AMERICA

America betrayal, Obama UBUNTU ARAB SLAVE, you chose to work with those who raped and murdered 5,000 American soldiers instead with the only US-friendly nation in the Middle-East? Ok, good choice, KENIAN RETARD. You've lost us as well.

Have fun licking Arab ass for the rest of your pathetic miserable life, BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA.
biji kurd u kurdistan !!
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ALAN
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If you control the oil, you control the country

Evin Cheikosman — Ekurd.net
May 25, 2014

If you control the oil, you control the country. This is Iraq’s motto and rightly so. It has the fourth largest reserves on the planet with some 143.1 billion barrels, and sales account for ninety-five percent of the national budget. Therefore after the Kurdistan Regional government (KRG) made the decision yesterday to move forward with their very first export of crude oil out of Kurdistan through Turkey’s Ceyhan port to Europe, Baghdad blew up. Baghdad deemed the export as illegal and threatened to take legal action against Turkey for its role as mediator in this transaction.

The Iraqi oil ministry said it has "filed a request for arbitration against the Republic of Turkey and its state-owned pipeline operator BOTAŞ... with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris." It goes on to state that “by transporting and storing crude oil from Kurdistan, and by loading that crude oil onto a tanker in Ceyhan, all without the authorization of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, Turkey and BOTAŞ have breached their obligations under the Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Agreement.”

This statement is pretty much fluff. Iraq is angry, yes, but not angry enough to fight huge oil production companies like Exxon Mobil, companies that have invested a lot in Kurdish oil and thus have a lot at stake. For this reason, if Exxon Mobil, for example, faces complications from Baghdad, Baghdad will have to deal with far greater problems than it does now.

So far the U.S. has been against Kurdish exports of oil out of Iraq, for fear of destabilization of the country. Therefore, there have been no reports of U.S. oil companies producing oil in Kurdistan; however several have already placed stakes in the ground and have begun exploration drilling. There are many oil production companies with interests in the region and with news that Kurdistan has begun exporting oil to Europe, oil companies are strategizing when to jump on this opportunity. Oil companies that are invested in Kurdistan are:

Exxon Mobil-signed six production-sharing contracts with the KRG in 2011, covering more than 848,000 acres. The company has surveyed four of the six blocks and has begun drilling one well, according to Exxon’s latest annual report. Exxon sold off part of its stake in Iraq’s West Qurna 1 field last year after debates with Baghdad over its stake in the Kurdish fields.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is banned by Iraq’s central government from obtaining contracts due to its ownership of oil-exploration blocks in Kurdistan. Chevron holds 444,000 acres in Kurdistan and has begun drilling two wells.

Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) has acquired interests in 145,000 net acres and expects to begin producing about 30,000 barrels a day by next year. The company has drilled many test wells on the properties, at least one of which has been plugged and deserted and another has been suspended.

Hess Corp. (NYSE: HES) holds interests in about 429,000 net acres and has started drilling one exploration well and plans to begin another this year.

Now, with the first oil export going to Europe, European markets are increasingly starting to pay closer attention to Kurdistan. In Ankara, Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz told reporters that the exact quantity of the exported crude was around 1.05 million barrels and the shipment was headed “probably to Italy and Germany.”

Today, Friday, Kurdistan Confederation President Massoud Barzani met with French PM Francois Hollande in Paris. It is said that the French have officially pledged their support for the Kurds in the “next stage.” This is huge for Kurdistan, especially at a time when tensions between Baghdad and the KRG are at its height. Foreign Relations Minister Mustafa quoted Mr. Barzani, saying: “He (Barzani) told the French president that the Kurdistan Confederation has done everything for the success of the democratic and political process in Iraq, but unfortunately non-compliance with the constitution and not observing national partnership have hampered the development of the process.”

Although Kurdish independence was not discussed during this meeting, it was obvious from Mr. Hollande’s statement, “whatever decision you may take there should be an exchange of opinion between us,” that French patronage for Kurdistan is strong and developing.

Taking a short glimpse of France’s role in Kurd’s recent history, according to Rudaw, France was among the first to open a Consulate General in Erbil in 2009 to further bilateral diplomatic, trade and cultural relations. In addition there is an increasing number of French companies heavily invested in Kurdistan, among them Total Oil Company. As stated by Mr. Hollande: “There is a number of French companies in the Kurdistan Confederation and France cares about its relations with the Kurdistan Confederation .” So, a little thank you to France!

Barzani and his delegation are expected to visit the Vatican next and further their “European tour.” This is definitely a strategic and smart move by Barzani, given that the European market is red with desire for Kurdistan’s oil.

It is believed that Kurdish oil fields hold total reserves of 45 billion barrels, and a new pipeline opened late last year is capable of transporting 400,000 barrels a day from Kurdistan to Ceyhan. The KRG expects shipments to reach a million barrels a day next year and to rise to 2 million barrels a day by 2019. Current production in Kurdistan is about 200,000 barrels a day. Looking at these numbers, what country and oil company wouldn’t want to take a stake in those profits?

For Turkey, facilitating crude exports from Kurdistan to Europe is feeding its hunger for energy profits, one sector of society that has played a huge role in improving its economy. Thus, as far as Baghdad taking legal action against Turkey, that is pretty unlikely to plan out as Baghdad expects. According to a senior official at Turkey's Ministry of Energy, he said that Turkey is not in violation of international law on this matter. Turkey will continue to export Kurdish oil."

In addition, for Iraq to argue that Turkey has breached their agreement on oil exportation is not entirely true. Turkey indeed motivated to gain energy profits from Kurdistan’s crude venture, Ankara had in fact pledged to wait for the row between Erbil and Baghdad to resolve before allowing the sales to start. But after storage tanks at Ceyhan grew full with 2.5 million barrels of piped Kurdish oil that began flowing in December, Turkey had no choice but to announce with Kurdish officials that the oil sales would go ahead this month.

Al in all, the Kurds have chosen an advantageous moment to begin the sales given the fact that the overall atmosphere wherein Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is making an uphill bid for a third term following elections last month, cannot fulfill the ambition of keeping his job without political support from the Kurdish bloc in parliament. The KRG is rightly upset with Maliki, who has exhausted all options to pressure Kurdish leaders any further.

As I had explained in detail in my previous articles, for several months Baghdad has frozen payments to Erbil from the national budget as pressure and punishment for trying to go ahead with the oil sales. This unjust move has had a direct effect on the citizens of Kurdistan who had not received a salary in weeks. The oil revenues from Kurdistan’s crude export to Europe are expected to go a long way to ease Kurdistan’s tight cash flow.

Even though Baghdad insists that Kurdish oil sales are an arbitration of the Iraqi constitution and therefore illegal, Kurds have in return threatened to declare outright independence unless Baghdad gives greater control over their own resources. And in this instance, Kurdistan has the upper hand in this oil war. Kurdistan has the growing support of Europe, European investors, oil production companies, and Turkey. Iraq, however, only has threats, legal claims, and of course Nouri Al-Maliki, who some would argue is actually helping (unintentionally of course) the Kurd’s cause. He is creating such an atmosphere of chaos and doubt that the KRG is finding it easier to further their claims of independence, which President Barzani had stated would most likely happen in five years, if not sooner.

Evin Cheikosman, a Kurdish-American, graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara. Her study's emphasis on the Middle East and Europe. A regular contributing writer and columnist for Ekurd.net. You can visit Evin's blog at evincheikosman.wordpress.com

Copyright © 2014 Ekurd.net
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Iraqis are so dumb I swear they cut our budget and wish to oppose us from exporting our own oil? How more dumber do they wanna get till they wake up from their day dreaming :koko:

Kurdistan Slams Iraqi Lawsuit to Stop Oil Exports

By RUDAW 10 hours

ERBIL, Kurdistan Confederation – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) stated Sunday it had learned of a lawsuit filed by the Iraqi oil ministry to stop Kurdish oil exports to Turkey, and said the move threatened both Baghdad’s overall export capacity and its diplomatic standing.

A KRG statement said that the Kurdish government had learned from a media announcement that the Iraqi Ministry of Oil (MOO) “has filed a ‘Request for Arbitration’ against the Republic of Turkey and a Turkish state-owned entity.”

It said that, “The motive of the MOO is, according to the announcement, to prevent the export of crude oil from the Kurdistan Confederation of Iraq through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.”

The statement added: “The MOO’s behavior is inconsistent with previously established and accepted practice. It threatens Iraq’s oil export capacity and Iraq’s global diplomatic standing. The MOO also threatens Iraq’s relations with global oil traders and buyers.”

The KRG claimed that the lawsuit violated both Iraqi and international law, and that, “Its threats will fail.”

Iraq’s reported lawsuit follows confirmation by the KRG on Friday that the first oil sales through a new pipeline from Kurdistan to the Turkish port of Ceyhan had begun.

A tanker loaded with over one million barrels of crude oil departed Thursday night from Ceyhan towards Europe, according to the KRG. “This is the first of many such sales of oil exported through the newly constructed pipeline in the Kurdistan Confederation ,” the KRG said in its statement announcing the oil sales.

The oil issue has been at the center of one of the worst rows between the autonomous Kurds and the Shiite Arab central government in Baghdad.

Erbil opened its new pipeline to Ceyhan in December. But after strong opposition from Baghdad, Ankara said it would hold off on allowing the sales until consent from the central government.

But after months of bickering and acrimony, including Baghdad freezing Erbil out of the national budget for months, no agreement was reached.

Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz, who had warned that storage tanks at Ceyhan for Kurdish oil were filled to capacity with 2.5 million barrels of piped Kurdish gas, confirmed Thursday that the first oil sales had begun.

The bone of contention between Erbil and Baghdad has been over who controls revenues. The Kurds rejected demands by Baghdad that the sales should be conducted by the State Oil Marketing Organization, inviting SOMO only as an observer.

Sunday’s statement noted that: “The KRG has, with Federal Government knowledge, been exporting oil by trucking through Turkey and Iran for many years. This new pipeline export by the KRG is wholly consistent with the Constitution.”

“There is no clear reason why the MOO should now depart from established practice in circumstances where the KRG is increasing Iraq’s exports by pipeline at reduced transportation costs,” it said.

“The MOO’s behavior is a new and flagrant defiance of the KRG’s established rights under the Iraqi Federal Constitution,” the statement added.

“MOO is misleading the Iraqi Federal Government,” it warned.

It said that: “The KRG warns against any internationalizing of this Iraqi domestic constitutional issue by attempting arbitration processes obstructing the KRG’s constitutional right to sell its oil to the international market.

“The KRG remains, as always, ready to engage with its responsible partners in Baghdad to resolve any internal Iraqi oil and gas matters,” the KRG statement said.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/250520142
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Now the iraqis on SSC forum can shut their mouth when they were saying cut the budget let Kurdistan separate from us, it's clearly iraqis who don't want to break up in peace as it's in their genes to be genocidal freaks and the breakage will occur with blood split this is the will from Tehran the real Iraqi capital, so be it.
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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First natural gas arrives at Duhok power station

Erbil, Kurdistan, (KRG.org) – The Kurdistan Regional Government is pleased to announce the successful delivery via pipeline of the first quantities of natural gas from the gas field at Summail to fuel the Duhok Power Station.

The Summail Gas Field lies within the area of the Duhok Production Sharing Contract (PSC) and is operated by the Norwegian company DNO, which together with Anglo-Turkish PSC partner Genel Energy, signed a landmark gas sales agreement (GSA) with the KRG on 18 September 18 2013.

Long-term deliveries are expected to reach 120 million cubic feet per day sold on a take-or-pay basis for the duration of the production, showing the KRG can successfully develop its newly discovered gas assets in Kurdistan.

Under the long-term GSA, the KRG will purchase up to 120mmscf/d. Initial volumes will start at around 55mmscf/d, ramping up to 120mmscf/d within the next few months, and thereafter itis hoped that gas production will eventually rise to around 200mmscf/d.

The Duhok Power Station is a 750 MW power plant in the city of Duhok, located 40 kilometres from the field. The power station’s six turbines have been run on expensive diesel until now, due to significant delays in ori
Jet fuel can't melt steel beams

"If Turkey allows itself interfere in the matter of Kerkûk because of a few thousand Turkmen, we will do the same with regard to Diyarbakir (Amed) and other Kurdistani cities in Turkey because of 30 million Kurds." - President Masoud Barzanî
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First Gas Deliveries to Duhok Prove Kurdistan Success in Gas Sector

By RUDAW 3 hours ago

“It is hoped to connect the Kurdistan gas network in Dohuk in the near future to the gas line that connects to Erbil -- to enhance gas deliveries within Kurdistan to the domestic market,”

ERBIL, Kurdistan Confederation – The first deliveries of natural gas via pipeline to fuel the Duhok power station have been completed, the Kurdistan Regional Government reported on Monday, saying it proved Erbil’s ability to successfully develop its newly discovered gas assets.

“The Kurdistan Regional Government is pleased to announce the successful delivery via pipeline of the first quantities of natural gas from the gas field at Summail to fuel the Duhok Power Station,” a KRG statement said.

“Long-term deliveries are expected to reach 120 million cubic feet per day... showing the KRG can successfully develop its newly discovered gas assets in Kurdistan,” it added.

“This important achievement shows that newly discovered gas in Kurdistan can be monetized on a timely basis, and that this is the beginning of creating a gas market in Kurdistan,” the statement quoted KRG Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami as saying.

“It is hoped to connect the Kurdistan gas network in Dohuk in the near future to the gas line that connects to Erbil -- to enhance gas deliveries within Kurdistan to the domestic market,” he added.

“The policy is to keep the lights switched on in people’s homes, and provide cheaper, environmentally-friendly power to hospitals, schools and factories,” Hawrami said.

The locally-produced natural gas will replace diesel at the power station and is part of a KRG strategy to save the public millions of dollars every year in costly diesel imports for power generation, the statement said.

It added that the people of Dohuk would be “self-sufficient in locally-generated power by the end of 2015, saving well above $100 million on expensive fuel each month. The KRG plans to replace diesel with gas in all the Region’s power plants within the next two years.”

The announcement about developments in the gas sector come hot on the heels of the first sales of Kurdish crude through a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan last week.

The three-province Kurdish enclave in KRG is believed to be sitting on some of the world’s top untapped oil and gas reserves.

The oil-and-gas issue is a major bone of contention between Erbil and the central government in Baghdad. The KRG on Sunday slammed a reported lawsuit by the Iraqi government aimed at stopping the oil exports to Ceyhan.

Iraqi officials accuse the Kurds of taking too much liberty by tapping the region’s oil without Baghdad’s authority. But Kurdish leaders argue that the Iraqi constitution gives them the right to develop their own energy sector.

Kurdistan Confederation were devastated under decades of Saddam Hussein’s rule and their own civil war in the 1990s. Infrastructure is slowly being rebuilt to improve public services such as electricity, fueling an economic boom in a region that remains Iraq’s only oasis of calm.

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/260520142
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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South Kurdistan: We will continue to export oil

• May 27, 2014

ERBIL-Hewlêr, Kurdistan Confederation 'KRG',— Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) announced that it will continue to export oil, as revealed for the main reason for the Kurdistan prime minister visit to the European countries.

KRG had already began on Thursday to sell exported crude oil to the Turkish port of Ceyhan then to the world markets.

Safeen Dizayee, KRG spokesman said in an interview with reporters that “The sale of oil with the current amount at this stage will not fill all the needs of Kurdistan Confederation , because the region needs to export 400 to 500 thousand barrels per day to ensure all necessary needs “.

"It may not be easy to export those quantities of oil, as the region needs about 150 thousand barrel of fuel per day, and can export the surplus abroad."

He pointed out that the recent visit of KRG Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani to European countries, " included talks with a number of financial centers and international banks for loans to Kurdistan Confederation , so that we can insure payment of employee’s salaries through these loans and sales of oil resources".

Safeen stressed that KRG will try over the coming months depending on the sales of oil from solving the problem of salaries to a large extent.

He explained that Erbil and depending on the will of the people of Kurdistan will not be subjected to the decisions of Baghdad, and will continue in exporting oil process.

He added that Kurdistan Regional Government was and still with dialogue and peace talks to find a solution to address the problems, especially the problem of oil export with the Iraqi government and will not succumb to their will.

The Iraqi authorities have announced taking legal action against Turkey after Ankara's announcement of starting to export oil from Kurdistan to global markets.

The Turkish Energy Minister, Taner Yildiz had said last Thursday that the first shipment of crude oil from Kurdistan Confederation of one million barrels, are being loaded in the port of Ceyhan on the Mediterranean Sea.

Yildiz pointed out that the amount of oil will be stored at the port of Ceyhan in Kurdistan and reached to 2.0005 million barrels.

Ankara’s government said earlier that it has stored oil exports of Kurdistan to the port of Ceyhan, until settling dispute between Baghdad and Erbil.

While the Iraqi Ministry of Oil has warned from exporting oil without the knowledge of the federal government, saying that it will start its investigation in order to stand on the repeated information about its export.

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http://www.ekurd.net/mismas/articles/misc2014/5/state8029.htm
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Well done PUK at last you bought back your face it was hanging by a tiny string

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Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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ALAN
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Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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kurdishpatriot
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US bought the oil? xD werent they against it? Well at least western media isnt talking about the details
#PROMOTEWOMENRIGHTS
"shengal bo ezdi ya", Ezidi namerin, HATA ARAB NAMAYEN NEK SHENGAL!
"A society can never be free without women's liberation" - Abdullah Ocalan
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Talking is different to actions, everyone is buying our oil xD
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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KRG to use oil revenue to provide employee salaries

The official spokesperson of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Safeen Dizayee has revealed that the Kurdistan Confederation hopes to produce 400,000 to 500,000 oil barrels per day in the future and asks the US to put pressure on Baghdad to review its politics and not on the Kurdistan Confederation .

On May 26 Dizayee said: “from the first day [of the budget problem] we began to work on solving the government employees’ salary by increasing the internal income through oil companies.”

Dizayee mentioned that although Kurdistan’s budget makes up 17% of the federal budget, Baghdad has only ever sent between 10 and 11% of it, causing problems for the region.

The KRG has struggled to solve the problem but has slowly done so by decreasing overall expenditure and borrowing money from oil companies, in this way providing employee salaries for the coming six months.

Regarding international Kurdish oil sales he said: “Maybe the amount of oil we are exporting will not cover the federal budget yet because Kurdistan needs to export 400,000 to 500,000 oil barrels per day to be able to fill its budget and provide salaries.”

Dizayee also noted that exporting this amount of oil might not be technically easy. He believes that even if the KRG reaches the target amount it will still need 150,000 oil barrels to fulfill the internal needs of the region such as gasoline and petroleum.

Regarding the KRG’s response to Baghdad and the US, Dizayee stated: “In the last six months, the KRG has attempted to reach an agreement with Baghdad and negotiations were going well, but the overall results was that Baghdad insisted on centralizing oil exports through SOMO company. Baghdad wants to have the fate of the Kurdistan Confederation in its hand and uses as much pressure as it can.”

He furthered: “US has attempted so often to get Erbil and Baghdad to reach an agreement and they have advised both sides. KRG respects the US’ advice and we have made serious attempts to negotiate with Baghdad and have waited for their response, but unfortunately Baghdad has put economic sanctions on the KRG.”

Copyright © 2014 basnews
http://m.basnews.com/en/News/Details/KRG-to-use-oil-revenue-to-provide-employee-salaries/21515
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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Kurdistan confederation total oil will last the whole world a year & a half, and 200 years for turkey alone

Video report (Kurdish)
Click for the video
Russian Girenak Joseph, who visited Kirkuk in Kurdistan as a part of his tour throu the 1870 - 1873 AD, who published the results of his trip & his studies later in 1879, in the 4th volume in the Bulletin of the Caucasus department of the Royal Geographical Russian Society estimated Kirkuk's population as many as 12-50,000 people, & he emphasized that except 40 Christian families, the rest of the population were Kurds. As for The Turkmen & Arabs, they have not been already existed at the time.
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Worldwar2boy
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ALAN
May 28 14, 7:47
Kurdistan confederation total oil will last the whole world a year & a half, and 200 years for turkey alone

Video report (Kurdish)
Click for the video
Only 1.5 year? That's impossible, KRG oil is around 90-100 billion barrels I believe, how much is the total world supply?

The total WORLD SUPPLY of oil is around 1.4 million barrels.
Kurdistan accounts for 1/14th of that. If KRG's oil supplies world for 1.5 years, it means that there is oil left for like 21 years. Which is incorrect, I believe there is oil left fort another 70-100 years or something?

biji kurd u kurdistan !!
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LelleS
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Worldwar2boy
May 28 14, 4:22
ALAN
May 28 14, 7:47
Kurdistan confederation total oil will last the whole world a year & a half, and 200 years for turkey alone

Video report (Kurdish)
Click for the video
Only 1.5 year? That's impossible, KRG oil is around 90-100 billion barrels I believe, how much is the total world supply?

The total WORLD SUPPLY of oil is around 1.4 million barrels.
Kurdistan accounts for 1/14th of that. If KRG's oil supplies world for 1.5 years, it means that there is oil left for like 21 years. Which is incorrect, I believe there is oil left fort another 70-100 years or something?

Total World konsumption about 90 million/day. about 30 billion/year.
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