IRBIL — The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on Wednesday again denied claims that there were delivery problems concerning oil shipments from the Northern Iraq autonomous region and a tanker carrying it. Safeen Dizayee, spokesperson for the KRG based in Irbil, said their oil was sold at market value and had reached its destination. "I assure you that the ship has reached its destination," said Dizayee, who added, "It is not true that the oil has been sold under its true market value."

Earlier, speaking to an Irbil-based TV channel on Monday, Dizayee denied claims that the United States had turned away the vessel transporting the oil.

On Wednesday afternoon, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and his high ranking energy officials answered deputies' questions about the disputed sale of oil in Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdishdominated region in northern Iraq. The prime minister reaffirmed KRG's resolution to go on with the sale of oil. Relations between Irbil and Baghdad have been strained by disputes over the sale of northern Iraqi oil through Turkey.

After the Iraqi central government suspended funds from oil income to the KRG, Irbil went on to export oil in late May saying it would serve as compensation for the budget cut.

Turkey and the KRG have stated that the flow of northern Iraqi oil to international markets would continue despite Iraq's appeal for international arbitration demanding an immediate halt to the sales.