Canadian independent Oryx Petroleum said today it has halted drilling operations in the western portion of its Hawler license in the Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq as fighting nears.
With Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (Isis) militants attacking Kurdish forces near the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) capital of Erbil and the US military responding with an air strike, Oryx said it has suspended operations at its Ain Al Safra and Banan sites and relocated non-essential workers to Erbil.
Drilling continues in the Demir Dagh field in the central portion of the license, although at a reduced level because third-party company personnel have left, Oryx said. But production from the field has been shut in.
Oryx said it will resume operations "when the situation has stabilized."
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