Iraq intends to reactivate an inactive pipeline that will allow oil to be directly transported to Türkiye's Ceyhan port, bypassing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), according to Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani.

Iraq and Syria held talks on Tuesday to explore ways to enhance bilateral energy cooperation, focusing on the potential revival of the long-unused Kirkuk-Baniyas oil pipeline, which previously transported Iraqi crude to Europe via Syria.

An explosive drone was intercepted and shot down near a Kurdish Peshmerga base in Kirkuk, northern Iraq, early Friday morning.

Iraq and British oil giant BP are set to sign a major deal for four Kirkuk oil and gas fields by the first week of February, according to Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani, who spoke to Reuters during a visit to Britain, News.az reports citing Reuters.

British Petrolum (bp), a British energy giant, on Thursday entered into an agreement with Iraq to develop four oil and gas fields in the northern province of Kirkuk.