Drone strike suspends production at Iraq’s Khor Mor gas field

Production at the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region was suspended after a suspected drone strike caused a fire on Sunday, November 8, disrupting gas supplies to power stations and regional electricity generation. Dana Gas, the field’s operator, said Monday that the fire had been extinguished, no staff were injured and production would remain suspended while the company assessed damage.

The Kurdistan Region’s electricity ministry said the disruption took about 2.8 gigawatts of generation capacity offline. More than 70 percent of the region was without electricity after the attack, according to reporting from the area. The ministry said the lost gas supply affected power stations serving Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Duhok, Bazian and Chamchamal.

Two sources in the regional electricity ministry said a drone struck a liquefied petroleum gas storage tank, causing the fire. Security sources reported smoke rising from the site, and ministry sources said workers moved to shelters within the facility. Footage verified by Al Jazeera’s Sanad unit showed smoke and flames near the gasfield.

Omid Ahmed, a spokesperson for the regional electricity ministry, said authorities would prioritize...