An employee walks through the production center at the Taq Taq oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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Motorists drive through the streets of Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, Erbil, at dawn. The oil industry has contributed to development in the region, particularly within the city where construction, development and investment are on the increase. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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Shwan district council member Usman Hassan points to his village near the Taq Taq oil fields. Although poverty and unemployment are still problems within his community, Hassan believes in the future the oil industry will bring improvements for Kurds throughout the region. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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Behind the elaborate rose gardens of Sami Abdul Rahman Park in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, construction sites glow in the sunset. The oil sector has helped to fuel the growth with malls, hotels and offices springing up across the city. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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The production center at the Taq Taq oil fields in Iraqi Kurdistan currently produces 60,000 barrels of oil per day. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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Oil tankers wait to be filled at the Taq Taq oil field loading center. Local media reports claim thousands of tankers like these smuggle oil across the Iranian border each day. (Tracey Shelton/GlobalPost)
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