At a Glance

• An Iraqi federal delegation headed by Mohsen Mandalawi visited the Kurdistan Region for high-level energy talks.

• Federal authorities presented new demands regarding the handover of crude oil and natural gas resources.

• Bilateral discussions ended without a consensus on key oil and gas transfer obligations.

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  An Iraqi federal delegation convened with senior officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government in Zakho to discuss energy policy and natural resource management. According to information obtained by Channel8, the high-level meeting concluded without reaching a final agreement regarding the handover of regional crude oil and natural gas supplies.

Key Statements and Focus Area

• Federal negotiators requested the delivery of 400,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Kurdistan Region fields.

• KRG officials stated that current regional output limits delivery capacity to 260,000 barrels per day.

• Iraqi delegates requested surplus natural gas handovers as stipulated in the draft budget, to which KRG officials responded that federal authorities must negotiate directly with Dana Gas to purchase extra supply.

• Deputy Prime Minister Mohsen Mandalawi affirmed that "talks focused on mechanisms to resolve pending energy sector issues, including export procedures, marketing, revenue management, and unifying visions on managing oil wealth."

• Mandalawi emphasized the necessity of "continuing dialogue and coordination between the federal government and the KRG to reach mutual understandings," adding that he "stressed agreeing on a clear timeline to address outstanding matters."

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During the talks, both delegations evaluated multiple shared files, primarily surrounding oil and natural gas transfers. While disagreement persisted over total daily volume capacity and natural gas purchasing mechanisms, both sides agreed to establish a joint verification framework to audit and confirm actual production levels across Kurdistan Region oilfields.

The federal delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Mohsen Mandalawi and Oil Minister Basim Muhammad Khudair, alongside senior energy officials. The KRG negotiating team was headed by caretaker Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Acting Minister of Natural Resources Kamal Muhammad, and Head of the Cabinet Diwan Omed Sabah.

FYI

• Budget Status: The draft 2027 federal budget bill was recently returned from the Council of Ministers to the Ministry of Finance for financial reallocations and technical adjustments before final resubmission.

• Gas Purchasing: Commercial natural gas operations in the Kurdistan Region are governed under existing agreements with private producers such as Dana Gas, requiring separate commercial negotiations for surplus delivery.

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