Oil

Ali al-Obaidi at the Beiji refinery in February 2010. On Saturday he resigned from his post and will likely leave the country. (AYMAN OGHANNA/Iraq Oil Report)

After leading turnaround, Beiji refinery chief quits

The man brought in to clean up Beiji refinery has made good on his threat to quit the post, after death threats and little help from the government.

  • Iraqi, BP and CNPC officials signing the contract for the Rumaila oil field development deal. (STAFF/Iraq Oil Report)

    Rumaila deal clears legal hurdle

    Lawsuit claiming contract with BP and CNPC unconstitutional dismissed by Iraq’s highest court.

  • Zalmay Khalilzad speaks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on January 26, 2008. (MONIKA FLUECKIGER/World Economic Forum)

    Khalilzad won’t join DNO

    The former U.S. ambassador to Iraq has turned down seat on board of the Norwegian oil firm with operations in Kurdistan, but will remain on board of RAK, which owns 30 percent of DNO.

  • BP Iraq President Michael Townshend (r) explains the dynamics of the Rumaila oil field to U.S. Maj. Gen. Vincent Brooks as executives from oil firms such as Italian Eni and diplomats including U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill observe from a rig platform during a late-May 2010 tour. (BEN LANDO/Iraq Oil Report)

    American base in Basra on frontline of oil boom

    The U.S. and British troops and diplomats based at COB Basra see themselves forming a crucial conduit for foreign oil companies entering Iraq’s southern oil sector.