Electricity restoration remains uncertain after Khor Mor attack

Electricity restoration remains uncertain after Khor Mor attack, says ministry source

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Electricity says there is still no clear timeline for restoring power after Wednesday night’s drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field, which severely disrupted gas supplies and caused widespread outages. Even after gas flow resumes, returning to normal power production will take at least 72 hours, according to a ministry source.

No indication of when gas flow will resume

A ministry source told Rudaw on Friday that officials are still waiting for an update from the operators of Khor Mor. “We have not been informed when gas supplies will restart, therefore we cannot determine when electricity will return to normal levels,” the source said. “Once gas flows resume, power output will gradually increase, but reaching pre-attack production will require 72 hours.”

Electricity availability across the Region has dropped to around five hours per day since the attack ignited a fire at the gas facility and halted operations.

Khor Mor field stabilizes but gas flow still halted

Information obtained by Rudaw indicates that conditions within the field have returned to normal and staff are on standby, but gas transfer to power stations has not yet restarted. Khor Mor supplies the majority of fuel used for electricity generation in the Kurdistan Region.

Ministry spokesperson Omed Ahmed previously stated that about 80 percent of the Region’s power production was knocked out due to the disruption in supply.

Investigation underway into drone attack

The gas field — located in Chamchamal district and operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium that includes Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum — has been targeted repeatedly in recent years. Kurdish and Iraqi interior ministries are jointly investigating the latest attack and expect preliminary findings within 72 hours. No group has claimed responsibility.

US embassy offers support to protect vital infrastructure

The United States embassy in Baghdad condemned the attack and said it is ready to support efforts to secure key energy installations. “We are prepared to lend support to protect this critical infrastructure,” the embassy said, urging the Iraqi government to ensure that all weapons systems, including drones and rockets, are controlled exclusively by the state.

Kurdish officials blame repeated attacks on militia groups

Authorities in the Kurdistan Region say oil and gas facilities have been hit dozens of times over the past several years, often pointing to militia groups aligned with Iraq’s security institutions but operating outside direct government oversight.