Oil Price magazine reported on the two-year-long dispute between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, Turkey, and international oil companies regarding the resumption of oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan. It stated that in February, Baghdad and Erbil appeared close to agreeing on all technical and financial details for the resumption of exports in March 2025. 

Kurdistan's oil exports have been halted for over two years, since March 2023, due to disagreements over the legal authority to export oil from the region. 

After more than a year of fruitless negotiations and disputes over unpaid dues owed to international oil companies operating in Kurdistan, Iraq took a significant step in February to resume oil exports. 

The Iraqi parliament passed a key bill to compensate these companies, aiming to accelerate the return of crude oil exports from the region. 

Amendments to the federal budget law stipulate that international companies operating in Iraqi Kurdistan will receive a fixed rate of $16 per barrel for their oil production, paid upfront. The produced oil will be delivered to the State Oil Marketing Organization of Iraq (SOMO) for sale. 

However, negotiations have stalled in recent weeks, and exports have yet to resume. Foreign companies operating in the region are demanding serious guarantees regarding the payment of past and future dues before restarting exports. Meanwhile, the United States is putting pressure on Baghdad to allow the return of Kurdish oil to the market. 

Furthermore, the Association of Petroleum Industries in Kurdistan (APIKUR), representing foreign oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region, stated: "We are ready to resume exports as soon as an agreement is reached with the Iraqi and KRG governments, but safeguarding our rights and investments is essential."