Arbil, Iraq — A drone strike forced a US company to suspend operations at an oil field in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region Tuesday, the latest in a string of attacks targeting the region’s energy infrastructure.
The Kurdistan Regional Government said the Sarsang oil field in Duhok province was hit, calling the strike “an act of terrorism against the Kurdistan Region’s vital economic infrastructure”.
The attack followed a similar drone strike a day earlier on an airport in neighboring Arbil province, which hosts US troops.
HKN Energy, the US firm operating the site, said the blast occurred at about 7:00 am (0400 GMT) at one of its production facilities in the Sarsang field.
“Operations at the affected facility have been suspended until the site is secured,” it said in a statement.
A fire broke, but no casualties were reported.
Emergency response teams later contained the blaze, HKN Energy said.
In the past few weeks, there has been a spate of drone and rocket attacks mostly affecting Kurdistan.
Long plagued by conflict, Iraq has frequently experienced such attacks, often linked to regional proxy struggles pitting Iran against the United States and its ally Israel.
The explosion in Sarsang field occurred a day after three explosive-laden drone attacks were reported in Kurdistan.
In one of them, a drone shot down near Arbil airport, which hosts US troops, and another two hit the Khurmala oil field causing material damage.
There has been no claim of responsibility for those attacks.
But, on July 3, the Kurdistan authorities said a drone was downed near Arbil airport, blaming the Hashed al-Shaabi — a coalition of pro-Iran former paramilitaries now integrated into the regular armed forces.
The federal government in Baghdad rejected the accusation.
The latest attacks come at a time of heightened tension between Baghdad and Arbil over oil exports, with a major pipeline through Turkey shut since 2023 over legal disputes and technical issues.
In May, Iraq’s federal authorities filed a complaint against the autonomous Kurdistan region for signing gas contracts with two US companies, including HKN Energy.
Iraq slammed the agreements, saying that all oil and gas development must go through the federal government.
A few hours after Tuesday’s drone attack, Iraq’s oil ministry announced an initial agreement with HKN Energy to develop the Hamrin oil field in Salaheddin province.
After signing the agreement, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel Ghani said Baghdad is looking forward to cooperating with US companies in the oil and gas fields.
There are some 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State jihadist group.
