ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The UAE-based Dana Gas, operator of the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani, on Tuesday dismissed reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani had called for halting gas production in the Kurdistan Region following the recent strike, calling them “completely untrue.”

On Monday, the Washington-based Al-Monitor reported that Sudani had instructed Dana Gas to halt production at Khor Mor until an investigation into the strike was completed. The outlet claimed that the call had sparked tensions between Baghdad and Erbil.

“The information cited in the article is inaccurate and misleading and is not based on any facts,” Dana Gas said in a statement on Tuesday. 

Sudani “has clearly expressed his wishes to see gas production resume as soon as possible,”

It said, adding that “operations were resumed immediately upon completion of all technical assessments and necessary safety procedures.” 

A strike targeted the Khor Mor gas field in Sulaimani province late Wednesday, shutting down production at the key field, and causing partial blackouts across the Kurdistan Region for days.

A high-level investigative committee was promptly formed upon the call of Sudani, and conducted a field inspection at the site on Friday. No specific timeline has been set to announce the results of the committee’s investigations, according to Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.

In its Tuesday statement, Dana Gas thanked Sudani and the Iraqi federal government for addressing the issue and for their “ongoing support in security aspects.”

The Khor Mor field is the main producer of the Kurdistan Region’s electricity, with natural gas reserves of around 1.8 trillion cubic feet. It is operated by Dana Gas, which, alongside affiliate Crescent Petroleum, agreed to a deal with the KRG in 2007 to develop the Region’s gas capacities.