Iraqi parliament committee hosts Kurdistan Regional natural resources minister to discuss oil file

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's parliamentary Oil, Gas and Natural Resources Committee met in Baghdad on Monday with the Kurdistan Region's Natural Resources Minister to discuss petroleum sector issues. Committee member Mohammed Ali al-Nuaymi said the session examined the mechanisms for managing and marketing oil products in the Kurdistan Region and reviewed the main challenges in that area. The committee said the meeting also addressed the draft Oil and Gas Law, with members seeking arrangements consistent with the constitution to ensure transparent management of natural resources. Committee member Sipan Sherwani had announced on Sunday that a tripartite agreement involving the federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government and foreign companies operating in the region was in place to allocate 50,000 barrels of crude oil per day to meet the region's fuel needs. Sherwani said the session was convened to follow up on implementation of the agreement and to investigate the causes of gasoline shortages reported in Erbil and Duhok in recent weeks. Despite a price-reduction decision by the Kurdistan Regional Government, fuel stations have faced severe supply disruptions, with long queues reported at many locations. The committee did not immediately announce outcomes from the meeting, and no further details were available on the timeline for the draft legislation or on measures to address the fuel shortages.