Iraq's Khor Mor gas field halted by drone attack; Kurdistan blacked out

A suspected drone attack on the night of Sunday, 8 November 2026, set fire to part of the Khor Mor gas field in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq and halted its production, the field's operator Dana Gas said. The fire was put out and no casualties were reported, but output remained suspended on Monday, 9 November, while the damage was assessed. Because Khor Mor supplies the main fuel for the region's power stations, its shutdown cut an estimated 2,500 to 2,800 megawatts of generating capacity and caused widespread blackouts across Iraqi Kurdistan, according to officials quoted in regional and international reports. No group has claimed the attack.

Khor Mor is not one of the world's best-known energy sites, but for the Kurdistan Region of Iraq it is critical. Officials say the field is the primary source of fuel for the region's power plants. When it stops, homes, hospitals, businesses and water pumps lose electricity within hours. That is why a single drone attack on one field can black out much of a region.

The attack also comes at a tense moment for the region. It came as the United States and Iran exchange warnings while holding talks, and as other reports describe drone strikes in northern Iraq. Kurdish authorities have blamed Iran-backed militias for earlier attacks on Khor Mor, though no one has claimed this one.

For investors and companies, repeated attacks raise the cost of doing business in Iraqi Kurdistan, and each shutdown costs the operator production and revenue. The field was already shut in July 2026 because of security threats, and a strike in November 2025 had also stopped production.

For Indian readers, the direct effect is small: Khor Mor's gas feeds local power stations rather than exports. But the attack is a reminder of how exposed energy sites in the region remain.

Peepals timeline: the field halted production after a strike in November 2025. In July 2026, Dana Gas shut the main production sites because of security threats. On the night of Sunday, 8 November 2026, a suspected drone hit the field, causing a fire; on Monday, 9 November, the company confirmed that production remained suspended pending a damage assessment, with no restart date. That makes at least three stoppages in about a year.

Short-term: Large parts of Iraqi Kurdistan face power cuts until gas supply from Khor Mor resumes or other fuel is found for the power stations.

Long-term: Repeated attacks threaten investment in the field and the region's plans for reliable electricity, and keep pressure on Baghdad and Erbil to protect energy sites.

Who is affected: Households and businesses in the Kurdistan Region, Dana Gas and its partners, the Kurdistan Regional Government and Iraq's federal government.

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