finance
Iraq Moves to Centralize Energy Exports
Iraq is attempting to reassert federal control over its energy sector by centralizing exports, revenues, and infrastructure. Renewed cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government has revived exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline. Political obstacles including Iranian influence and militia activity continue to affect investment.
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Iraq is attempting to reassert federal control over its fragmented energy sector, using the Hormuz crisis as a catalyst to centralize exports, revenues, and infrastructure. Renewed cooperation between Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government has revived exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline.
The biggest obstacle remains politics, not geology. Iranian influence, militia activity, security risks, and unresolved Baghdad-Erbil tensions continue to deter investment despite Iraq's vast potential to boost oil and gas production. Iraq's oil sector has been discussed over the last few years primarily through the lens of production figures, OPEC quotas and reserve estimates.
The current focus should be on a struggle over sovereignty, state authority, regional geopolitics and economic survival. The government in Baghdad is currently attempting to rebuild and centralize an energy industry that has been fragmented for decades by war, corruption, militia influence, regional rivalries and institutional weakness.
