Baghdad hotel blasts puncture oil signing progress

Three vehicle-born bombs struck hotels in Baghdad's middle-class Karrada neighborhood Monday afternoon, killing dozens but striking a massive symbolic blow hours after the world's largest oil companies signs an oil deal for one of Iraq's super-giant oil fields.

Iraq Oil Report staff survived but were kept from the office, nearby the last of the trio of attacks which targeted hotels used by foreign media.

Two hours before the attacks Exxon Mobil with junior partner Royal Dutch Shell sig…