Norwegian oil producer DNO, the largest operator in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, said on Thursday it is considering joining an agreement that would allow Kurdish crude to be exported to Turkey via pipeline.
The company previously opted out of a deal signed last September between Iraq’s federal government, the Kurdistan Regional Government and eight oil companies to restart pipeline exports after a suspension lasting more than two years. Instead, DNO chose to continue selling its crude on the domestic market.
“We can join that agreement at any time,” Executive Chairman Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani said, adding that both the participating companies and Iraq’s state oil marketer, SOMO, are keen for DNO to come on board.
As an alternative, DNO could also strike a separate bilateral arrangement with SOMO outside the existing tripartite framework, he noted.
However, Mossavar-Rahmani cautioned that reaching an export deal may not happen until mid-year or later, depending on the formation of Iraq’s new government following elections held in November.
Meanwhile, DNO has resumed drilling activities at its Tawke and Peshkabir fields, targeting an increase in gross production to about 100,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day, up from roughly 70,000 boepd last year.
In 2025, the company sold nearly 18,000 boepd of its net entitlement production locally at prices in the low $30s per barrel. Exporting through the pipeline would likely secure higher pricing.
“By 2026, we will either be part of the current export setup or find another way to gain exposure to international export prices,” Mossavar-Rahmani said during the company’s quarterly earnings call.