Iraq's self-ruling Kurds outlined plans on Wednesday to swiftly ramp up oil exports now that their forces have taken control of Iraq's main northern oil fields, a move that could tear up the settlement holding Iraq together since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Kurdish Natural Resources Minister Ashti Hawrami said in an interview that the Kurds have plans to increase their exports eightfold by the end of 2015, including by pumping oil from the fields taken by Kurdish fighters two weeks ago.
"We expect to be able to export 1 million barrels per day by the end of next year, including crude from Kirkuk," he said, although he insisted the Kurds would share the proceeds with Baghdad. "We want to work with Baghdad under the constitution, and they will get their share of the oil they export from Kirkuk."