Oil and Power Supply Halts Test Jordan-Iraq Energy Cooperation

Iraqi oil shipments to Jordan and Jordanian electricity supplies to the Iraqi town of Rutba have stopped, putting energy cooperation between the two countries to a fresh test.

Negotiations are under way to resume the flow of Iraqi oil to Jordan. The disruption has brought continuity of supply to the forefront of bilateral energy discussions.

The halt in electricity deliveries to Rutba comes as the two sides discuss completing their power interconnection and increasing its capacity from 40 to 500 megawatts.

That proposed expansion would substantially increase the link’s capacity, but remains a subject of discussion rather than a completed upgrade.

The parallel supply stoppages leave Jordan and Iraq facing both an immediate task of restoring energy flows and a longer-term challenge of advancing their electricity connection.