Kurdistan Regional Government has again rejected Iraq's claims that Exxon Mobil has frozen its contracts in the semi-autonomous region, claiming to have almost daily contact with the oil giant.
Ashti al-Hawrami, Kurdistan Region's natural resources minister said in an interview with Businessweek in Washington, “What comes out of Baghdad is about 90 percent, with respect, rubbish.”

He said the KRG hears from Exxon on an "almost daily basis" and said the company is "committed" to all its contracts in the region.

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs, Hussein al-Shahristani, said yesterday at a news conference that Exxon Mobil sent a letter on April 1 confirming its decision to freeze contracts in Kurdistan Region.

He added that the energy will now participate in the fourth licensing round.

Exxon declined to give a comment to Businessweek.

The oil dispute between Erbil and Baghdad governments developed further after Kurdistan's Ministry of Natural Resources suspended oil exports from the region indefinitely.

The KRG claims that the Iraqi government is yet to pay dues owed since last May.











AKnews