Drone Attack Halts Production at Iraq’s Khor Mor Gas Field

Khor Mor Gas Field : On Sunday, a drone damaged an LPG storage tank at Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field, halting production. The strike created a fire, and smoke could be seen rising from the scene. The event also impacted energy supply in the Kurdistan area, where the field feeds gas for power generation.

Following the strike, employees were relocated to shelters inside the plant. Iraq’s Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Ali al-Zaidi, stated that an initial evaluation revealed no injuries. However, the fire was still burning after the incident, and area officials were seeking to mitigate its effects.

Khor Mor Gas Field Attack Disrupts Power Supply

The strike severely disrupted energy generation in the Kurdistan area. The regional electricity ministry stated that the attack resulted in the loss of around 2.8 gigawatts of power output.

Khor Mor is one of Kurdistan’s greatest gas fields. Its supplies power the majority of the region’s power plants, making the facility a key component of the local energy network. As a result, the production standstill has impacted a critical supply of fuel used to create energy.

In a joint statement, the region’s natural resources and electrical ministries labeled the event a “terrorist attack”. They stated that they were taking efforts to mitigate its impact. Meanwhile, no organization claimed responsibility for the drone strike.

Two regional electricity ministry sources confirmed that production had been halted after the drone collided with an LPG storage tank. Additionally, two security sources reported seeing smoke rising from the field.

Employees were also evacuated to the facility’s shelters following the incident. Iraq’s prime minister’s early evaluation found no deaths or injuries. However, while the fire was still burning, the entire scope of the catastrophe remained unknown.

Khor Mor Gas Field Faces Repeated Security Threats

The current assault follows a slew of attacks on the Khor Mor compound in previous years. Dana Gas, situated in the United Arab Emirates, owns the facility and jointly operates the field. It has already experienced security challenges, which resulted in an earlier production suspension.

Dana Gas halted production at its main sites in July due to genuine security concerns and regional tensions. Production restarted later in the month. The most recent drone strike has prompted the plant to temporarily halt production.

Over the past few years, the Kurdistan area has also been subjected to periodic rocket and drone assaults. Many of these instances have targeted oil resources. Previously, local officials accused some of the attacks on Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups.

During the Middle East War, Khor Mor was frequently targeted by strikes ascribed to Iran or its supported armed factions in Iraq. However, no one has claimed credit for Sunday’s tragedy.

The overall regional scenario has also put Iraq in a tough position. The country has been one of the most affected by Iran’s effective closing of the Strait of Hormuz. Shipping activity in the channel is hampered, with vessels continuing to be attacked.

At the same time, Baghdad has been trying to maintain a balance in its relations with neighbouring Iran and the United States during their military escalation. Iran has also attacked Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in northern Iraq, while Iran-backed militants operating in Iraq have targeted Gulf neighbours during the conflict.

Conclusion

The drone strike has once again halted operations at one of Kurdistan’s most important gas installations. With production halted and the fire ongoing following the attack, the immediate worry is the impact on the plant and area energy supply. The reported loss of 2.8 gigawatts emphasizes the field’s importance in supporting regional power generation. Although Iraq’s prime minister claimed no injuries in the first evaluation, the event has exacerbated the facility’s security difficulties. Dana Gas has previously paused production due to security concerns before resuming operations in July. No organization has claimed responsibility for the new attack, and regional officials are seeking to mitigate its impact.