Kurdish governance issues exposed in London court battle

The influential and sometimes intimidating role in overseeing and brokering oil exploration contracts played by a senior Talabani family member Bafal Talabani – now a leading figure in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq’s fight against Islamic State (IS or Daesh) – has been exposed in the English Commercial Court. To considerable embarrassment for the participants, the mid-April hearing explored the dealings underpinning the Kurdamir PSC, one of the longest-running production-sharing contracts in the region, over six days. Depending on the result, it could be extremely costly for Canada-based international oil company (IOC) WesternZagros Resources Ltd (WZR). The episode adds to concerns over governance in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) area, which is central to efforts to counter IS.