Two Small Iraqi Oil Wells Set Ablaze in ‘Terrorist Attack,’ Ministry Says

Smoke rises from oil wells inside the Khabbaz oilfield after they were bombed on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Dec. 9, 2020. Ako Rasheed/Reuters

KIRKUK—Two wells in a small oilfield in northern Iraq were set ablaze by explosives in a “terrorist attack” on Wednesday but overall production from the field was not affected, the Oil Ministry and officials said Wednesday.

The Oil Ministry gave no further details about the assailants behind the explosive devices that targeted the wells in Khabbaz oilfield, 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Kirkuk.

A machine operates as oil wells burn inside the Khabbaz oilfield after they were bombed on the outskirts of Kirkuk, Iraq, on Dec. 9, 2020. Ako Rasheed/Reuters

Technical teams isolated the two burning oil wells and there was no impact on output, two sources from the state-run North Oil Company (NOC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The field produces about 25,000 barrels per day, oil officials said. The ministry said production from the two wells that were targeted did not exceed 2,000 bpd.

The ministry statement said a fire erupted at the two oil wells after explosive devices were set off half an hour apart, with one going off at 1:30 a.m. (1030 GMT) and the second at 2:00 a.m. (1100 GMT).

By Mustafa Mahmoud