Kurd Oil Supply Seen Growing as Region Grabs More Territory

Iraq’s Kurdish region may be able to gain more autonomy and increase crude exports after taking control of territory around the nation’s fourth-largest oil field, analysts from Saxo Bank A/S and JBC Energy GmbH said.

Kurdish troops are protecting the Kirkuk oil field and surrounding areas after an offensive by Islamist insurgents last week prompted Iraqi central-government forces to flee. The Kurdistan Regional Government is “willing to help” Iraq export crude from Kirkuk, Taha Zanghana, KRG’s deputy minister of natural resources, said at a conference in London today.