KRG to search for oil in Kandil Mountains

DİYARBAKIR - Doğan News Agency

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is preparing to search for oil in the Kandil Mountains, the site of a well-known base belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

The region is under the control of the PKK, Kandil Mayor Omar Muhammed said, adding that the group could permit oil exploration in exchange for infrastructure investment in the region, Doğan news agency cited Europe-based Rudaw website as saying. 

Muhammed said the militants in the region were open to the idea of oil exploration. The mayor said KRG officials would gather in 10 days in order to give detailed information to militants and added that the group had pledged to evacuate the region if exploration began. 

An experienced delegation has started exploration, the KRG’s Natural Resources Ministry said, adding that the delegation had sent samples to Britain for further analysis.