Explosion Halts Oil Operations in Iraq's Kurdistan Region – No Injuries Reported

TDT | Manama

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An early morning explosion on Tuesday at an oil production site in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region forced operations to a halt, according to the U.S.-based company HKN Energy, which runs the field.

The blast occurred around 7:00 AM local time at one of the company’s facilities in the Sarang oil field. While the cause of the explosion remains unknown, the company confirmed that no injuries were reported.

“As a precaution, operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured,” HKN Energy said in a statement.

This incident comes amid a wave of recent drone and rocket attacks targeting Kurdistan. Just a day earlier, three explosive-laden drones were launched in the region. One was intercepted near Arbil airport, while two others struck the Khurmala oil field, causing damage but no casualties.

While no group has officially claimed responsibility, Kurdistan authorities previously accused the Hashed al-Shaabi, a coalition of Iran-aligned paramilitary groups now part of Iraq’s security forces, of being behind an attempted drone strike on July 3 near Arbil. The federal government in Baghdad denied the claim.

Tensions have been building between Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government, especially over oil exports. A major oil pipeline to Turkey has remained closed since 2023 due to legal and technical disputes. In May, the Iraqi federal government even filed a complaint against Kurdistan for independently signing gas contracts with two U.S. companies, one of them being HKN Energy.

For now, officials and industry watchers are waiting for further investigation into the explosion as security concerns in the oil-rich region continue to grow.