An employee works at the Tawke oil field, which is administered by the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region. (MUHANNAD FALA’AH/Getty Images) Recommend 28 people recommend this. Sign Up to see what your friends recommend. Russia’s Gazprom Neft has halted operations in one of its exploration blocks because of ongoing protests by residents – the latest oil company in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region to face severe disruptions due to local complaints over compensation and land use.In the Halabja block – in the southeastern corner of Kurdistan, near the Iranian border – local farmers started to gather in the small town of Belula on Sept. 25 to protest Gazprom Neft’s activities. They say the oil developm… This content is for registered users. Please login to continue. If you are not a registered user, you may purchase a subscription or sign up for a free trial .