Drone strike shuts down Iraq's Khor Mor gasfield, causing widespread blackouts

Major energy centre on fire after attack, which is expected to cause production to drop by 3,000 megawatts

The Khor Mor gasfield in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Thursday, after it was hit by a rocket attack on Wednesday night. Reuters

A drone strike hit the major Khor Mor gasfield in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on Wednesday night, halting all supplies to power stations and causing partial blackouts.

Dana Gas, a field operator, said production had been shutdown after the attack on a liquid storage tank. “Production has been shutdown to extinguish the fire and conduct a situation assessment,” it said on Thursday.

“We inform the citizens of the Kurdistan region that tonight at 11.30pm, due to a drone attack on the Khor Mor field, all gas exports to power stations were halted,” the natural resources and electricity ministries said.

Dana Gas resumes production at Khor Mor field

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Widespread power cuts have also affected large areas of the region, local officials said. Footage shared by local media showed a large fire after the attack.

“Currently, teams from both the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Electricity, along with Dana Gas company, are on the ground to follow up on the consequences of the incident and normalise the situation,” the ministries added.

A drop of 3,000 megawatts in power generation is expected in the Kurdistan region after the attack, said Kurdish Electricity Ministry spokesman Omed Ahmed.

The Kurdish region's Department of Media and Information said the attack had reduced electricity production. The government could now only supply power for five hours a day instead of 24 hours, it added.

The Prime Minister of the regional government, Masrour Barzani, condemned the attack and called on Baghdad to hold the perpetrators accountable. He also urged the US to provide defensive equipment to protect “civilian infrastructure”.

“I condemn the cowardly attack on the Khor Mor gasfield in the strongest terms and urge the federal government to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice,” Mr Barzani said on X. “The usual terrorists or whoever may be behind tonight’s attacks cannot be allowed to repeat these crimes or be released on bail, as in the past.”

“I also urge our American and international partners to provide the defensive equipment necessary to protect our civilian infrastructure, and to support us in taking serious action to deter these attacks on our people and our progress,” Mr Barzani said.

On Thursday, he said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani had condemned the strike during a phone call, and that they had agreed to form a joint investigative committee.

US envoy to Iraq Mark Savaya accused "armed groups operating illegally and driven by hostile foreign agendas" of carrying out the attack.

In a statement on X, Mr Savaya urged the government of Iraq to identify those responsible for the attack and bring them to justice.

"Let it be unequivocal: there is no place for such armed groups in a fully sovereign Iraq. The United States will fully support these efforts. Every illegal armed group and supporter will be tracked, confronted, and held accountable," he said.

He also called on Baghdad and Erbil "to deepen their security co-operation and work closely to safeguard vital economic and energy infrastructure."

Located in Chamchamal district near Sulaymaniyah, the field has come under several rocket and drone attacks in recent years that Kurdish authorities have blamed on Iran-backed militia groups. In April 2024, four Yemeni workers were killed in a drone strike on the centre.

Iraq's Security Media Cell called the attack “treacherous” and a “serious terrorist act.” It added that there were no casualties.

Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan – the ruling party in Sulaymaniyah province – condemned the “terrorist” attack and vowed a “decisive and unwavering” response.

Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum have a 35 per cent stake each in the Pearl Petroleum consortium, the operator of Khor Mor. Iraq, Opec’s second-largest producer, is looking to boost domestic output of natural gas to support power generation and reduce reliance on imports from countries such as Iran.

Iraq suffers from chronic electricity shortages and has been searching for alternatives to Iranian imports since the US ended a sanctions waiver in March that allowed Baghdad to buy supplies from Tehran.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has recently boasted its implementation of projects aimed at providing residents with round-the-clock electricity. “Nearly 4.5 million citizens, or nearly 70 per cent of the Kurdistan region population, now have access to 24-hour electricity under the Runaki programme,” the KRG’s Ministry of Electricity announced last month.

But the recent attack is expected to be a setback for the initiative as winter approaches and temperatures drop, particularly in the more mountainous areas.

Pressure tactic

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes more than two weeks after Iraq held parliamentary elections in which many Iran-aligned factions performed well. The attacks are common and Kurdish authorities have typically been quick to accuse these groups.

The marathon talks under way to form a new government are led by Shiite factions, including Iran-aligned blocs, but discussions with Sunni and Kurdish parties are also needed. The Kurdistan Democratic Party secured more than a million votes, consolidating its position as the strongest and largest Kurdish party.

“As different actors compete for influence during government formation talks, the strike on Khor Mor shows that some actors still rely on calibrated violence to shape the political environment,” Hayder Al Shakeri, research fellow with the Mena Programme at Chatham House, told The National.

“In this environment, hitting Khor Mor signals that any shift in Iraq’s political or energy direction will face pressure from groups that feel their leverage is being reduced.”

Previous incidents have been viewed by experts as a pressure tactic on Erbil to concede to demands by Baghdad over the numerous oil, budget and political disputes. Mr Al Shakeri argues that Iran-aligned groups may be reluctant to publicly claim responsibility as “an open claim could expose them to political costs and security consequences” at a “sensitive time for the region”.

Iran and its allies have come under increased pressure after the war in Gaza and their own conflicts with Israel. In Lebanon, Hezbollah is under scrutiny as calls for it to disarm mount.

Iraq has for years been juggling its ties with both Iran and the US. The Kurdistan region is a US ally but has recently been recalibrating its relationship with Tehran, which had been under pressure for harbouring Iranian-Kurdish groups that Iran views as “terrorists”.

Iran-backed factions have renewed their calls for US troops to leave the country and while a plan envisions this to be completed next year, the forces are likely to move to their base in Erbil.

“The timing [of the attack] is important since there are ongoing talks with the US on energy investments as well as senior US officials are preparing to visit Baghdad and the Kurdistan region,” Mr Al Shakeri said. US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas on Thursday began a regional tour that will also take him to Baghdad and Erbil.

The US State Department said he would be “inaugurating the new consulate general” in the Kurdish capital – one of Washington's largest diplomatic missions in the world.