Iraq and oil major BP have signed a deal to redevelop four Kirkuk oil and gas fields, BP said on Tuesday, a breakthrough for Iraq, where output has been constrained by years of war, corruption and sectarian tensions.

BP Plc finalized an agreement with the government of Iraq to redevelop the giant Kirkuk oil fields, a deal that signals a return to the company’s Middle Eastern routes and should help to bolster production from the OPEC member.

BP had stalled plans for years citing risks of political instability in the province claimed by Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan. In 2013 BP signed a deal with the Iraqi government “on providing technical assistance relating to the Kirkuk oil field”, according to the company’s annual report for that year.

Iraq and oil major BP signed a deal to redevelop four Kirkuk oil and gas fields, Iraq's state news agency reported on Tuesday. The deal marks a breakthrough for Iraq, where output has been constrained by years of war,

UK energy company BP has signed an agreement with the Iraqi government to invest in several giant oilfields in Kirkuk, in a move expected to provide a big boost to the Opec producer's energy production.

The state-owned North Oil Company (NOC) and British Petroleum (BP) signed on Tuesday an agreement to develop four oil fields in Kirkuk.

Iraq and BP have signed a significant agreement to redevelop Kirkuk's oil and gas fields. This development aims to increase oil output that has been restricted due to years of conflict and instability in the region.