Kurdistan ‘Surprised’ by Iraq Parliament Delaying Oil Cost Vote

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s prime minister said he was “surprised” by changes to an approved plan for oil production costs and the Iraqi parliament not voting on it this week, potentially creating a fresh hurdle in restarting exports that have been halted for almost two years.

Iraq’s cabinet in November had approved a plan to pay $16 a barrel for oil production and transportation from the Kurdistan region. Following two readings, the parliament was scheduled to vote on the budget on Tuesday, but it was deferred after some changes were made unexpectedly, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said.