(Bloomberg) -- International oil companies operating in Iraq’s Kurdish region say they are willing to negotiate contract terms with both federal government and regional authorities in a bid to restart exports that have been stalled for more than a year.

The producers were forced to cut output after a payments dispute between Baghdad and Turkey erupted and a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan was shut down over a year ago. 

The firms have been limited to selling crude locally in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq and say they’ve racked up more than $1 billion in unpaid bills because of the stoppage.

The companies are “prepared to resume exports” if they are guaranteed payment for past and future sales, can be paid directly by the buyer, and as long as they can maintain commercial terms, according to a statement from the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan, which represents them. The trade group said its members are willing to hold talks with Iraq’s federal government and Kurdish authorities.

“Should such agreements require modifications to existing contracts, Apikur member companies are willing to consider this,” they said in the statement. 

Modifications would need to be agreed to by Iraq’s federal government, authorities in Kurdish region and by the individual companies. Even once issues with Baghdad and the Kurds are resolved, Iraq’s wider dispute with Turkey will also need to be ironed out.

Apikur said its members have had no direct talks with Iraqi and Kurdish authorities since January, and pushed back against the idea that intransigence on their part might have contributed to exports not resuming. The group hadn’t previously expressed willingness to negotiate contract terms.

Apikur includes founding members DNO ASA, Genel Energy Plc, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Ltd., HKN Energy Ltd. and ShaMaran Petroleum Corp. Hunt Oil Co. Other producers have since joined.

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