Operations at the Khor Mor gas complex in Iraq's Kurdish region restarted on Monday, according to a statement released by the Abu Dhabi stock exchange. The facility, operated by the UAE‑based Dana Gas, had been offline for more than a month after the company halted natural‑gas output on 28 February when the US‑Iran conflict escalated.
Dana Gas said production had resumed "following a period of intermittent operations". The suspension was described by Kurdistan's electricity and natural resources ministries as a measure taken "due to the extraordinary circumstances and ongoing events in the region, and to protect employees at the Khor Mor field". The Khor Mor plant supplies the majority of power stations across the autonomous Kurdistan region, making its shutdown a significant disruption to local electricity supplies.
The complex has previously been targeted in attacks that authorities linked to pro‑Iran armed groups operating in Iraq. Those incidents have intermittently affected output over recent years, underscoring the facility's vulnerability to regional security swings.
With gas flow restored, the Kurdistan power grid is expected to stabilise, allowing electricity providers to meet demand while the broader geopolitical tension continues. The next steps involve monitoring the security situation to ensure uninterrupted operations at the field.
The swift re‑activation of Khor Mor highlights how energy infrastructure can become a bargaining chip in broader geopolitical confrontations, yet the decision to resume output was taken without a public security guarantee. Dana Gas's move suggests confidence that protective measures are sufficient, despite the field's history of attacks blamed on pro‑Iran militias.
This episode fits a pattern where regional conflicts spill over into critical energy assets, forcing operators to balance commercial imperatives against staff safety. The US‑Iran war's indirect impact on Iraqi Kurdistan illustrates how distant hostilities can reverberate through supply chains, reshaping risk assessments for investors in volatile zones.
For Nigeria and other African oil‑and‑gas exporters, the incident serves as a reminder that geopolitical shocks can quickly curtail supply from seemingly peripheral sites, potentially tightening global gas markets and influencing price benchmarks that affect African economies reliant on energy exports.
Stakeholders should watch how security arrangements around Khor Mor evolve, as any renewed disruption could ripple through regional power grids and amplify volatility in international gas pricing.
