Iraq's Oil and Gas Law faces more delays and disputes

Shafaq News/ The member of the oil and gas Parliament committee Ali Al-Lami, said on Tuesday that he doubts the oil and gas law would pass in the current session.

Speaking to Shafaq News Agency, Al-Lami stated that the law reading would probably be delayed to the next session.

He pointed out many political and technical issues around the oil and gas law. But the most significant is the dispute over who would manage the oil fields in the Kurdistan Region and oil export abroad. This issue remained unresolved between Baghdad and KRG. "It is unlikely to be resolved," he said.

Furthermore, Al-Lami commented on those requests to split the oil and gas law into two separate laws that "it is not feasible." He argued, "Since gas is extracted from the same oil fields, it is impractical to separate the two laws."

Notably, the oil and gas law has been the subject of discussion since 2006. However, it has encountered political and technical obstacles, resulting in disagreements among the federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and the oil-producing provinces. Key conflict areas include authority over oil fields, contracts with foreign companies, revenue-sharing formulas, and the Iraqi National Oil Company (INOC) role.