Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraqi Kurdistan’s Rise as an Independent Energy Player

Apr 10, 2016 | Omar Mawji, Geopolitical Monitor
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Iraqi Kurdistan and the governing Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is in the midst of a major shift toward autonomy in the northeastern enclave of Iraq. Since the 1970s, the Iraqi Kurds have been struggling for autonomy having faced many internal and external hurdles. Recently, the main external issue with Iraqi Kurdistan’s autonomy has been its ability to independently export and collect crude oil revenues – the backbone of its economy. A majority of Iraqi Kurdistan oil is exported to Turkey through the Turkey Ceyhan pipeline connecting Iraqi Kurdistan’s northern border and Ceyhan, Turkey, leading to the Mediterranean Sea. The pipeline has total capacity of 1.5 million barrels per day (MMbbls/d) with twining 46 and 40 inch pipelines. The 40 inch pipeline is the only pipeline in operation with 0.5 million barrels per day of usable capacity.