Khor Mor sales to Baghdad test control over Kurdistan’s gas

Iraq’s federal government has begun buying gas from the Khor Mor field — a step that could help establish a new market to support gas development in Iraqi Kurdistan, but which also appears to be causing major friction with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Gas began flowing to the Taza power station in Kirkuk on Aug. 4 under a one-year agreement with Iraq’s federal Ministry of Electricity to supply 100 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d), according to a statement from Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, the lead partners of the Pearl Petroleum consortium that operates Khor Mor. The contracted volume is enough to generate more than 400 MW, according to an engineer at the state-run North Gas Company (NGC).