Drone strike halts Iraq's Khor Mor gas field — 2,500–2,800 MW off the grid, over 70% of Kurdistan without power
A drone attack on Sunday night hit an LPG storage tank at the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region, starting a fire and halting gas production. The outage removed 2,500–2,800 megawatts from the grid, cutting power to more than 70% of the region.
The News
A drone attack on the Khor Mor gas field in Iraq's Kurdistan region on Sunday night, November 8–9, hit an LPG storage tank, Reuters reported citing ministry sources, started a fire and halted gas production, cutting power to more than 70% of the region. An LPG storage tank holds liquefied petroleum gas — a fuel made from natural gas — and the fire it started was the reason production had to stop. The Kurdistan Regional Government's electricity ministry said gas supply to power plants in Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal and Duhok was suspended, removing 2,500–2,800 megawatts from the grid — a 70–80% cut in grid capacity.
Khor Mor, operated by Pearl Petroleum — a consortium including UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum — is one of the largest gas fields in northern Iraq and the region's main source of fuel for power generation. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said an initial assessment found no casualties and ordered a joint investigative committee with the Kurdish authorities. Dana Gas said the fire was extinguished and it was assessing the damage.
No group has claimed responsibility, and it is not clear whether the attack relates to the US–Israeli war with Iran. The same facility was hit by a drone strike in November 2025, also unclaimed. US-based HKN Energy temporarily suspended production at its Sarsang field as a precaution, The Media Line reported, after the Khormala and Sarsang oil fields were also targeted. The strike came at about 23:10 local time, according to The Media Line, citing Xinhua, which reported three drones; Reuters, citing ministry sources, described a single drone hitting the LPG storage tank. The drone count is disputed, and officials have not confirmed it. Dana Gas is listed on the Abu Dhabi exchange, and Pearl Petroleum's other partner, Crescent Petroleum, is also UAE-based — the field's ownership is regional, and its gas is the backbone of Kurdistan's power system.
One storage tank — and more than 70% of Kurdistan without power.
Why It Matters
This matters because Khor Mor is not just a gas field — it is the power supply for most of Kurdistan. Cutting 2,500–2,800 megawatts from the grid took out 70–80% of the region's capacity, leaving more than 70% of the region without power. Hospitals, water pumps, homes and businesses all run on that gas. A single drone hitting one storage tank did that, which shows how exposed the region's energy system is to attacks it cannot easily defend against.
It matters for investors, too. Dana Gas, listed on the Abu Dhabi exchange, is a partner in the field through Pearl Petroleum, and the field has now been hit twice in a year — November 2025 and now — with no group claiming either attack. The precautionary shutdown at HKN Energy's nearby Sarsang field shows the risk spreads beyond the target itself. The field's gas feeds power plants in five cities — Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal and Duhok — so the outage hit the region's main population centres at once, and until the field is repaired the region's economy runs on whatever backup power it has.
Analyst's Take
This story carries no verdict. It is a report of an attack on a gas field that cut power to more than 70% of a region, and a market call would be inappropriate. The facts are stated as reported by the Kurdistan electricity ministry and the companies involved, with no attacker named in any source.
What readers should take from it is the scale of the damage from a single strike, and the pattern: the same field was hit a year ago, also unclaimed. The November 2025 strike was also unclaimed, and the two attacks together raise the question of whether the field is being targeted deliberately — a question no official has answered. Watch for Dana Gas's damage assessment, for when gas flows resume, and for whether the joint investigative committee names anyone. Until then, the cause and the culprit are unknown, and the power cut is the story.
By The Numbers
FAQ
What is the Khor Mor gas field?
It is one of the largest gas fields in northern Iraq and the Kurdistan region's main source of fuel for power generation. It is operated by Pearl Petroleum, a consortium including UAE-based Dana Gas and Crescent Petroleum.
How much power was lost?
Between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts were removed from the grid — a 70–80% cut in grid capacity — leaving more than 70% of the Kurdistan region without power.
Was anyone hurt?
No. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said an initial assessment found no casualties, and he ordered a joint investigative committee with the Kurdish authorities.
Who attacked the field?
No group has claimed responsibility, and no attacker is named in any source. It is also not clear whether the attack relates to the US–Israeli war with Iran.
What is Dana Gas's role?
Dana Gas, listed on the Abu Dhabi exchange, is a partner in the field through Pearl Petroleum. The company said the fire was extinguished and it was assessing the damage.
👁
Source: Al Jazeera