Gulf Keystone Petroleum has temporarily suspended production at its Sheikhan oil field in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, citing growing security concerns amid escalating regional tensions.
The London-listed company said on Monday that it had decided to shut in operations as a precaution due to the evolving security situation, adding that its facilities have not been damaged.
The company said the decision aligns with measures taken by other international energy firms operating in the region and noted that production at the field had recently exceeded 45,000 barrels per day.
Gulf Keystone added that it is closely monitoring developments and will provide further updates when appropriate.
The announcement comes days after UAE-based Dana Gas suspended operations at the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province, also citing security threats following a series of drone and missile attacks across the Kurdistan Region.
The Sheikhan field is Gulf Keystone’s main producing asset. Earlier this month, the company announced it had restored production to pre-conflict levels after resuming operations following an earlier suspension linked to regional fighting.
Production at the field was first halted in March after conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran disrupted operations across the region. During the fighting, several oil fields in the Kurdistan Region were targeted by drone attacks, forcing temporary shutdowns and prompting some foreign energy companies to suspend activities.
The latest suspension highlights the continued impact of regional instability on the Kurdistan Region’s energy sector and international oil operations.
