Iraqi Kurdish Oil in Hand, Plans to Increase exports

Iraqi Kurdish control of the northern part of the main oilfields after Wednesday drew up plans to rapidly increase oil exports, a move likely to sustain damage after the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq unified agreement.

Kurdish Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami told Reuters that Kurdish plans by the end of 2015 will raise its oil exports seven times, which will include the Kurdish oil fields occupied by the army two weeks ago.

"We expect exports out at the end of the day to reach 100 million barrels, including Kirkuk crude oil production," he said. But he was adamant expressed that Kurdish oil profits will be shared with Baghdad.

"We hope to cooperate with Baghdad, according to the Constitution, they will get their share of the profits belong from Kirkuk oil exports."

Iraq's central government firmly opposes Kurdish oil exports, saying it violated the constitution. They will increase oil exports to such high levels, will dramatically change the balance of power in Iraq's oil exports, the central government may need to close some of the discussion from Kurdistan, where export revenues, rather than the central government Kurdish find money.

Two weeks ago, Kurdish troops occupied the oil-rich Kirkuk and its vicinity in remote rural areas, so that more than one-third of the expansion of Kurdish territory.

Kurds said that after the army offensive funk Sunni ISIL face armed persons, they fill the security vacuum. ISIL rebels began encroaching on June 10, the first to win the largest city in northern Mosul, Iraq.

Hawrami told Reuters that the fall of Mosul, Iraq changed. Implies in terms of oil interests require a new agreement.

"Natural resources and revenues must be shared. Mosul Iraq that exist before the fall, and now face a new reality," Hawrami said in an interview near the Kurdish regional parliament in his office.

"We will not listen to those who want to concentrate power in Baghdad at the mercy of people who would not let them bully and intimidate, we need a power-sharing and revenue-sharing basis, the real federal system."

Agreement is terminated

In accordance with an agreement in 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein, Iraq's crude oil will sell all of the government in Baghdad, the Kurdish autonomous region derive a fixed percentage of revenue.

But this year the Kurds to start their own small amount of oil exploitation, exports to the Turkish port, the central government will no longer fund its budget appropriation, this agreement is tantamount lifted. Recently, a tanker bound for Israel from the Kurdish region. But Kurds deny Israel the sale of crude oil.

Kurdish oil exports currently only 12.5 million barrels of oil money is equivalent to rely on these before they get the money from a fraction of the Baghdad government, but after the control of the Kirkuk oil fields, they will earn far Far more oil profits.

U.S. Secretary of State Warren on Tuesday visited the Kurdish regional capital Arbil, urging Kurdish support for the Baghdad government.But some Kurdish officials privately say they are fed up of Iraq, is now looking for opportunities out of Iraq, and now they occupied most of the oil fields in northern Iraq, making the possibility to achieve that goal is even greater.

Western oil companies are willing to do business with the Kurds, completely ignoring the Baghdad government persuade them to do so is illegal. It had never been seen in a Reuters reporter interviewed Hawrami, outside his office about 20 senior Western energy companies are waiting to meet with him.

Hawrami said the Kurdish export pipeline capacity to 300,000 barrels per day, but by some local adjustments and new pumping stations, capacity can be quickly improved. For the Baghdad government may issue a threat, does not allow the company to buy Kurdish oil, Hawrami performance was not worried.

"Global oil companies and governments are now showing interest to buy our crude oil and many are already doing," he said.

"When big energy companies want to come here to work, Baghdad had issued similar threats," Hawrami said. "We know they are the large ones." (End) (compiled clouds; revisers crown in)