Turkey’s Genel Enerji has increased its exploration in Iraqi Kurdistan by spudding a well at the Ber Bahr-12 block in the semi-autonomous state.

The 208 square-kilometre block is shared with the UK’s Gulf Keystone and has estimated resources of 1.5 billion barrels of oil equivalent in place.

Genel and Gulf Keystone each own 40 per cent of the block, with the Kurdistan Regional Government holding the remaining 20 per cent.