Operations at the Khor Mor gas field, one of the largest in Iraqi Kurdistan, were suspended Wednesday after a drone strike caused widespread power outages across the northern region, officials and engineers confirmed, according to Reuters.
The Natural Resources and Electricity ministries said in a joint statement that all gas supplies to power stations in Kurdistan were halted following the attack. Local officials reported extensive outages, with Kurdish electricity ministry spokesperson Omed Ahmed warning of a 3,000-megawatt drop in power generation.
Security sources said the strike hit storage tanks, igniting a fire and wounding workers. Firefighting teams continued efforts to contain the blaze, while a field engineer noted that repairs to the main liquid-gas storage depot could take two to three days.
Videos posted by Kurdish broadcaster Rudaw showed smoke rising from the site and a partial blackout in Erbil. Teams from both ministries and UAE-based Dana Gas, one of the field’s operators, are investigating the incident. The Pearl Consortium, which includes Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum, holds rights to develop the field.
Iraq’s Security Media Cell described the strike as a “treacherous terrorist” attack that set fire to a main storage tank but caused no casualties. It warned the attack would worsen shortages in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah and pledged to pursue those responsible.
The perpetrator remains unknown. This marks the second attempted drone strike in days, after Kurdish security forces fired at a drone on Sunday to prevent it from reaching the field.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has in the past taken responsibility for strikes on Erbil, claiming it was targeting “Mossad bases” there.
The Kurdistan Regional Government has categorically denied in the past the presence of Mossad bases in the Kurdistan Region.