KIRKUK, Iraq—Two wells in a small oilfield in northern Iraq were set ablaze by explosives in a “terrorist attack” on Dec. 9 but overall production from the field was not affected, the Oil Ministry and officials said Dec. 9.
The Oil Ministry gave no further details about the assailants behind the explosive devices that targeted the wells in Khabbaz oilfield, 20 km southwest of Kirkuk.
Technical teams isolated the two burning oil wells and there was no impact on output, two sources from the state-run North Oil Co. (NOC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
The field produces about 25,000 barrels per day (bbl/d), oil officials said. The ministry said production from the two wells that were targeted did not exceed 2,000 bbl/d.
The ministry statement said a fire erupted at the two oil wells after explosive devices were set off half an hour apart, with one going off at 5:30 p.m. and the second at 2 a.m.
Recommended Reading
DOE Identifies 16 Sites for Rapid AI Data Center Growth
2025-04-04 - The Department of Energy is requesting details on potential development approaches to establish AI infrastructure at select sites.
Belcher: Tariff Growing Pains Will Help US Achieve Energy Dominance
2025-04-03 - Tariffs may bring short-term pain, but Trump is aggressively pursuing goals that benefit the U.S., says Cornerstone Government Affairs’ Jack Belcher.
Paisie: How a World in Flux Impacts Oil Prices
2025-04-02 - Sanctions, tariffs and production strategies are buffeting crude markets as wild cards like tariffs and geopolitical conflicts make headlines.
Oil Prices Fall into Negative Territory as Trump Announces New Tariffs
2025-04-02 - U.S. futures rose by a dollar and then turned negative over the course of Trump's press conference on April 2 in which he announced tariffs on trading partners including the European Union, China and South Korea.
Court Rejects Activists’ Protest of Woodside LNG Pipeline Project
2025-03-31 - Woodside Energy Group prevailed against environmental groups’ arguments to stop a pipeline to Louisiana LNG in a case that originated before the Australian company bought the project.