Sabah Subhi, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Oil and Gas Committee, told Channel8 on Wednesday that the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Natural Resources will hold talks with the Iraqi Oil Ministry on five key issues.

Subhi explained that they are: the $16 per barrel oil production cost, the entitlements and previous debts of oil companies, the validity of contracts, and the Kurdistan Region's domestic oil needs.

He said the recent amendment to Article 12 of the federal budget law was intended to resume oil exports, adding: “Unfortunately, there is an unknown intention to accuse the Kurdistan Region of not complying with the budget law, but we can file a complaint against the Iraqi Oil Ministry for failing to implement Article 12.”

Subhi stated that the Kurdistan Regional Government “does not accept any changes to its contracts with oil companies,” and noted that “these contracts have been approved by Iraqi courts.”

He further emphasized that allocating $16 per barrel for production costs is a basic right of the companies and should be covered by the federal government.

According to Subhi, the domestic oil demand in the Kurdistan Region has grown from 54,000 to 110,000 barrels per day, which he said “requires a clear mechanism and agreement.”