Turkey to Buy Kurdish Gas

Turkey is planning to buy natural gas from Arbil in northern Iraq after the start of crude oil purchases from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Iraq’s energy regulator EPDK has demanded that engineering and construction company Siyahkalem, a new actor in the region, present its deal with the northern Iraqi authorities within 90 days, Hurriyat Daily news has reported. 

Siyahkalem was the sole candidate in a tender to transport natural gas from Iraq as the deadline for applications to the EPDK passed in April. It’s application covers annual imports of 700 million cubic meters initially. 

A number of large companies avoided bidding for the northern Iraqi natural gas mainly due to the lingering dispute between Arbil and the central Iraqi government in Baghdad. 

Currently there are no natural gas pipelines between Iraq and Turkey, but Turkey’s pipeline firm Botaş has pledged to finalize a project from Mardin in the country’s southeast to Iraq, the EPDK official said.