Kirkuk official criticizes Baghdad over crude pricing, fuel costs

KIRKUK, Iraq — The acting minister of natural resources in Kirkuk Region, Kamal Mohammed Salih, criticized Baghdad over the price at which crude oil is sold to the region, saying the central government is charging more than it costs itself. Salih said Baghdad sells oil to central and southern refineries at about 5,900 dinars per barrel, roughly $4, while demanding $16 per barrel from Kirkuk. He linked the disparity to the region's inability to fix the price of regular gasoline at 450 dinars per liter, after fuel prices in Kirkuk exceeded 1,500 dinars. According to Salih, Kirkuk's share of crude oil, based on population, stands at 126,000 barrels per day, of which 115,000 barrels are needed to meet local consumption. He said 2.9 million registered vehicles are operating in the region, and called on Baghdad to treat Kirkuk equally. Salih also said Iraq's other 16 provinces refine 1 million barrels of crude per day directly, a capacity he said Kirkuk has been denied. No response from the federal government was immediately available.