The semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) of northern Iraq has agreed with Baghdad to increase crude oil exports to 175,000 barrels a day (b/d) in 2012.

The region has exported as much as 160,000 b/d since February this year through a pipeline running from Kirkuk in northern Iraq to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. 

“During our recent visit to Baghdad, we also agreed that for next year the level of exports should increase to 175,000 barrels a day,” KRG Prime Minister Barham Saleh said at a conference in Irbil, Reuters reports.

Disputes with Baghdad over the KRG’s oil deals with international oil companies halted exports from the region in late 2009.

Norway’s DNO, which operates the Tawke field, one of the main KRG contributors to the northern export pipeline says it expects its capacity to reach 100,000 b/d next year from 70,000 b/d now. Actual production at the field is 50,000 bpd.

Exports through the northern oil pipeline averaged approximately 460,000 b/d in October. In September, exports dropped to only 330,000 b/d after Kurdish production dropped to 55,000 b/d (MEED 24:10:11).