Less than a year later, Exxon signed a deal with Kurdistan. The story of how that happened explains much about the would-be nation‘s growing power.

Interviews with key players in the secret 2011 negotiations – the talks involved not just Exxon but also fellow Western oil giant Royal Dutch Shell – show how Exxon‘s decision to invest infuriated both Washington and Baghdad, and helped propel Kurdistan closer to its long-held goal of independence.