It was the first time the Kurds pumped oil from Bai Hassan field -- 55 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of the city Kirkuk and used to average 190,000 barrels per day -- since they claimed control of it on July 11, a senior source in the Iraqi North Oil company told AFP.

The Kurdistan regional government encountered some difficulties connecting Bai Hassan to the Kurdish-run Kharmala Dome oil field, but will make another attempt on Friday, the official said.

The move is likely to further enrage Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who has accused the Kurds of taking advantage of the chaos that erupted when jihadist-led militants swept large swathes of the country last month.

The Kurds and their well-trained Peshmerga force moved into long-disputed areas -- including the oil-rich region of Kirkuk -- when federal forces retreated in the face of the militant onslaught.