en.Wedoany.com Reported - Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Falih Al-Zaidi has instructed oil companies operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to resume operations on Thursday, as the second-largest OPEC producer rushes to increase crude oil exports amid the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

During a meeting with executives of oil companies operating in Kurdistan and senior officials of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Al-Zaidi demanded that companies restart activities on Thursday. According to the Prime Minister's office, the meeting emphasized the importance of joint action, providing a suitable operating environment, and meeting basic requirements to support their work.

Norway-based DNO is one of the major international producers in Kurdistan.

Oil supplies from Kurdistan are expected to boost Iraq's exports, which have significantly declined from the main southern port of Basra since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz over three months ago. Oil from Kurdistan and northern Iraqi fields is exported via pipeline to the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, a route that could become a lifeline for Iraq's economy amid the sharp drop in exports from Basra and the Strait of Hormuz.

Al-Zaidi noted that Iraq has suffered enormous losses due to the disruption of oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz. His media office stated in a statement that it is necessary to intensify efforts to compensate for these losses by addressing challenges hindering production increases.

Iraq plans to triple crude oil exports through the Kurdistan-to-Ceyhan pipeline within three months. As the second-largest OPEC producer, Iraq is one of the Middle Eastern producers most severely affected by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iraqi government approved a plan this week to increase crude oil exports from the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan to international markets from the current approximately 220,000 barrels per day to 770,000 barrels per day.

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