Kurdish oil player Genel Energy said it was optimistic for 2016, but recognized macroeconomic pressures and strains from regional security may persist. Genel offered an update before the March 3 release of full-year 2015 results, saying last year was a challenging one for the industry and this year should be no different. “In addition, the funding of the security effort in northern Iraq, influx of refugees into the Kurdish region and cessation of budget transfers from Baghdad continue to place a very significant strain on the finances of the Kurdistan Regional Government,” Genel Chief Executive Officer Murat Ozgul said in a statement. The Kurdish north of Iraq has faced security pressures from the presence of Daesh, also known as the self-styled […]