Iraq puts out fire at second well in Kirkuk's Bai Hassan field after May 5 attack

Dubai — Iraq has extinguished fire at a second well in Bai Hassan oil field in the Kirkuk region that was set on fire after an explosive's attack on May 5, the oil ministry said, as OPEC's second largest producer continues to struggle in protecting its energy infrastructure.

The ministry didn't disclose in a May 9 statement if production was impacted by the May 5 attack. The fire at the first well was extinguished on May 5.

Explosions at Bai Hassan caused two wells to catch fire and resulted in casualties, the oil ministry said May 5. It didn't say at the time whether production was affected.

It is the second attack on Bai Hassan in less than a month after explosions occurred at two wells April 17, without affecting production volumes. The ministry at the time didn't say who was behind the attack, which was later claimed by the Islamic State, according to media reports.

The Bai Hassan field has been operated by Iraq's state-run North Oil Co. since Baghdad took control of the key oil-producing area from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government in 2017. But despite a general improvement in security since Kirkuk was under Islamic State control earlier in the last decade, the insurgent group remains active.