The Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Dispute: Opportunity in an Arbitration

Aug 22, 2019 | Richard Kraemer
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Fatigue and frustration aside, U.S. focus and engagement in Iraq remains critical to the national- and energy-security interests of the United States and its allies. Iraq has increased its oil production by more than half since 2012, and is set to be the world's third-largest oil producer by 2030. Its proven natural gas reserves are enough to meet, for example, Germany’s present demand for 40 years.

Extracting and exporting those resources with the help of U.S. energy companies would produce wins on several fronts.

None of these gains are achievable, though, without consistent and direct U.S. support of Iraq’s state institutions and the country’s energy development, and without shepherding normalized relations between the capital in Baghdad and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil