Kurds on the Way

Reuter's reports the Kurds expect their first oil payment from Baghdad next week.  

"The autonomous region's exports will resume in October at 200,000 barrels per day and continue at that rate until the end of 2012, then rising again, Hawrami told reporters at an energy conference in Istanbul...By 2015, we are looking at 1 million barrels per day. We're on track, regardless of whether exports stop again," he said.....Increased production from Kurdistan, as well as from oilfields further south controlled by Baghdad, in the coming years means that Iraq needs a new pipeline to Turkey to handle combined output that could reach 6 or 7 million barrels per day (bpd), Hawrami said."

6MM bpd would make Iraq the world's fourth largest producer behind Russia (10MM bpd as of 2011), Saudi Arabia (8.8MM bpd) and the US (7.8MM bpd) and well ahead of Iran (4.1MM bpd).   Add to this that an enriched Kurdish region could lead to renewed calls for an autonomous Kurdistan carved out of Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq - and Iran can't be pleased with this development.  Map of Kurdish regions.