Reuter Exclusive: Iraqi Kurdistan oil pipeline export capacity to double. By Humeyra Pamuk and Orhan Coskum, Duhok, Iraq/Ankara, Turkey

(Reuters) - The capacity of Iraqi Kurdistan's independent oil pipeline will almost double to at least 200,000 barrels per day by the end of this month, helping the semi-autonomous region increase exports and revenue, industry sources and officials said. Oil revenues are a lifeline for the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, whose peshmerga forces are being supp

Read More

The Real Middle East Crisis Is Economic. By Michael Sing*

It would be naive to think that economic growth will solve all of the Middle East's thorny dilemmas; but it would be equally naive to believe that they can be solved without it. President Obama surprised many recently when he diagnosed the crisis gripping Iraq as partly an economic one, noting that Iraqi Sunnis were "detached from the global economy" and thus frustrated in ach

Read More

How Iraq’s black market in oil funds ISIS. By Luay al-Khatteeb *,

London (CNN) -- Luay al-Khatteeb spoke to CNN about the impact of ISIS' march through northern Iraq, and the militant group's control of some oil fields. He explained how they used the oil fields to raise funds, and how it could impact global prices. This is an edited version of the conversation. How much of Iraq's oil market do ISIS control? ISIS control just a few marginal

Read More