AP quoted an Iraqi Kurdish official saying that the country's self ruled northern Kurdish region has suspended oil exports over a payment row with Baghdad,a development that could add to already souring relations between the Kurds and the Arab led central government.
Since the 2003 US led invasion,the Kurds have unilaterally struck more than 50 deals with foreign oil companies,even though Baghdad says they have no right to do so.In 2011,the two sides reached a tentative deal by which the Kurds send the oil to Baghdad,which sells it,and pays 50%of the revenues to the developers to reimburse the development costs.
In April,the Kurds halted exports of around 100,000 barrels a day,saying that Baghdad had made only two payments under the agreement and had failed to pay USD 1.5 billion.
However,Mr Ali Hussein Balo,the advisor of the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources,said that Baghdad sent only IQD 650 billion and withheld the rest.That prompted the Kurds'latest move.
According to Jordan's Petra news agency,separately,Iraq and neighboring Jordan have agreed to speed efforts to build a pipeline to export Iraqi oil through the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba.
Petra said that the deal calls for an oil pipeline that would have a capacity to export 1 million barrels a day.
