ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The US State Department on Tuesday voiced its pleasure with the recent signing of two lucrative deals between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and US-based firms in the energy sector.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Friday set out for Washington, where he signed two agreements with HKN Energy, ONEX Group, and WesternZagros on Monday that combined to be worth “tens of billions of US dollars,” according to a statement by the KRG, before holding high-profile meetings with a number of US officials.

“We are pleased to see the commercial relationship between the United States and Iraqi Kurdistan Region expand with the signing of agreements with U.S. companies,” the State Department said in an X post, noting that “these types of partnerships will strengthen gas production in Iraq and benefit both of our peoples.”

One of the contracts is for the development of the Miran Gas Field, located in the western part of the Kurdistan Region. The deal has “the possibility to generate over $40 billion in long-term value,” according to HKN Energy and ONEX Group. WesternZagros, on the other hand, announced the successful acquisition of the Topkhana-Kurdamir block, located in the Garmiyan Administration.

The Kurdish premier, for his part, in an interview with The New Region, highlighted the long-standing relations between the United States and the Kurdistan Region, noting that those ties are further deepened through such agreements.

“We are happy to see American companies come invest in the Kurdistan Region, as it benefits both Kurdistan and themselves as well,” said Barzani.

The signings tie in with the Kurdistan Region’s recent attempts at reforming the energy sector. Prime Minister Barzani in October 2024 announced the “Runaki Project,” the KRG's program to provide 24-hour power to residential neighborhoods, a plan that aims to eliminate the electricity issues that the Region has struggled with for decades.