Energy

Iraq seeks backup options for West Qurna 2

As a sanctions deadline looms, Basra Oil Company is poised to manage the 480,000 bpd field while Lukoil continues negotiating to sell its stake.

A ceremony at the West Qurna 2 oil field in Basra to mark the opening of two new well complexes on June 1, 2023. (JASSIM AL-JABIRI/Iraq Oil Report)

Feb 16, 2008

Confusion on reports Iraq’s Kurds have signed more oil deals, with South Korea, sure to irk Baghdad…

Plus: *Iraq’s Parliament approved three crucial laws, barely, but nothing doing with the oil law *Baghdad’s water supply cut for half of its residents *Power workers protest lax Electricity Ministry *Electricity and Oil Ministry’s work together to stem fuel, power shortages *Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s upcoming Iraqi visit Media reports from Seoul say Iraq's Kurds have signed […]

Feb 14, 2008

Shell, ExxonMobil say it and others want in Iraq’s oil and gas but need guarantees in the law…

Plus: *Iraq assurances to Lukoil not clear following massive debt forgiveness *Electricity Ministry warns of even less power following more attacks *Parliament’s passage of three key bills – analysis and understanding *Much, much more… Iraq's legal framework is still uncertain, Big Oil firms say, though negotiations on oil and gas deals are ongoing and could […]

Feb 8, 2008

Iraq deals with Big Oil to be signed in March…

Plus: *Iraq and Europe courting each other for gas, oil support *Russia writes off 91 percent of Iraq's debt in move once reserved for W. Qurna rights *Iraq: The Alcohol Smugglers *Much more... Iraq’s Oil Ministry will continue meetings with Shell, BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron on Feb. 25, with deals to be signed in March, […]

Feb 7, 2008

Iraq oil begins flowing to Turkey again…

Plus: *Iraqi Kurdistan’s oil minister calls for fairness *ONGC Mittal looking at Iraq *Hard time in Parliament, budget faces walkout *Sadr, seriously Oil has started to flow again in the northern pipeline from Kirkuk to Turkey, Alsumaria TV reports. The pipeline has seen worse days, such as most of the time since the war began. […]

Feb 6, 2008

Iraqi and international oil firms’ talks on first post-war deals are moving along …

Plus: *Oil Ministry Shahristani in BBC interview *Iraqi Kurdistan’s Oil Minister Ashti Hawrami vows to sign more deals *OMV rejects Shahristani’s claim, will stick with KRG deal *Kurds threaten to withdraw from government *Iraq’s ambassador to U.S. optimistic on the draft oil law *Shell, Repsol register for oil bids; Exxon wants in too Negotiations between […]

Feb 1, 2008

Iraq’s Oil Ministry is getting ever closer to the first post-Iraq war oil deals…

…with the majors licking their chops at reentering since Iraq’s oil was nationalized in the 1970s. Plus: *Iraq and Europe to develop the gas sector *Rumormill: $$ for Iraq oil law votes? *Austria’s OMV joins SK Energy in having oil supply cut *Tet and the Iraq offensive Iraq's Oil Ministry, in talks with oil majors […]

Jan 29, 2008

Iraq income up five years after war as oil production slowly increases, fetching more with high oil prices…

Plus *Ex-Iraq corruption watchdog blames firing on oil smuggling investigation *Police bust smugglers in Missan *2008 budget delayed a week *Dana Gas to pump $300M into Iraqi Kurdistan natural gas venture *Corruption allegation over Iraq Central Bank building fire *Iraq Press Roundup *Much, much more… New data from Iraq's oil export arm finds increased production […]

Jan 28, 2008

Turkey to study pipeline for Iraq gas to run same route as Iraq oil pipelines…

Plus: *Iraq stops auctions, starts term contracts for Kirkuk oil *Iraq oil flow north to Turkey stopped, storage capacity blamed *One of three major Iraq refineries working *Oil Ministry reaffirms blockade of firms who sign with Kurds *Fight for Mosul escalates *Political tensions mount *Much more… Turkey has launched a feasibility study for a natural […]

Jan 25, 2008

Iraq intent on boosting oil production by 17 percent; security and investment still uncertain …

Plus: *Negotiated deals with Big Oil done by first quarter 2008 *Contracts on oil fields from bids signed by end '08, more next year *Exports to Turkey resumes, fears remain it can't deliver on crude contracts *Political party that runs Basra may rejoin national government *Iraq's editorial pages Iraq has its sights set on 300,000 […]

Jan 22, 2008

Iraqis are left without fuel or electricity …

Plus: *Iraq Oil Ministry, Big Oil to meet in Jordan this week *Deadline to register for upcoming oil tenders delayed *2008 budget delayed, Kurd vs. Arab continues *Iraq Press Roundup *Is the surge working? A worthless question. *and more... You can't have one without the other, but with many of Iraq's power plants shut and […]