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Energy

Iraqi wartime production cuts reach 3.6 million bpd

Iraq is navigating acute logistical and infrastructure challenges to maximize refinery consumption and exports while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.
Workers from the state-run Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) work on a well at the West Qurna 1 field in Basra in March 2026. (Photo credit: IDC)
Oct 1, 2007

TOP STORY: Biden defends Iraq federalism plan, explains the oil factor

It appears that U.S. Sen. Joe Biden’s attempt at breaking the political deadlock in Baghdad with legislation calling for a weak central government in Iraq has done more for bringing politicians together than all recent U.S. efforts combined. Of course, Iraqis (except for the Kurds) are united against his plan, as is the U.S. embassy […]

Sep 28, 2007

State Dept. slams Hunt Oil-Iraq deal

The U.S. State Department said oil companies who sign deals in Iraq with the Kurdistan Regional Government are taking a risk, and this is what they tell companies who contact them. When queried about the Hunt Oil deal signed with the KRG earlier this month, a state department spokesman said he was "not sure how […]

Sep 27, 2007

U.S. not happy with Hunt Oil

U.S. Embassy officials in Baghdad told reporters Dallas-based Hunt Oil’s deal with the Kurdistan Regional Government has "needlessly elevated tensions" with the federal Iraq government. AFP has the story from Baghdad. I’ll bring it up at Friday’s State Department briefing here in Washington, if there is one. So far the U.S. government has been fairly […]

Sep 27, 2007

Iraq oil exploits and the legal regime

I sat down with J. Jay Park in Dubai, the man who helped the Somali government craft its new oil law and has worked with all sides in Iraq oil law. He holds training sessions for the Iraq Oil Ministry, and represented Canada's Western Oil Sands in their contract with the Kurdistan Regional Government. We […]

Sep 25, 2007

Iraq and the Oil Overshadowed

As the U.S. and world media play with President’s Bush and Ahmadinejad, there is a slowdown of Iraq energy related information. However, Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani is none too pleased with the KRG. Also in today’s Iraq Oil Report, Iraq offers Jordan more discounts to the oil. Plus, at the end, I’ll supply some details […]

Sep 24, 2007

The Greenspan flap, Iraq’s oil and accusations of U.S. attempts to control it…

Former Fed. Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan, prophet of U.S. economic stability, sure started a firestorm with the 20 words in his book that said the Iraq war is about oil. Walid Khadduri reports in Dar Al-Hayat on the ensuing discussion that needs to happen now that the flames have been fanned. A person with the […]

Sep 21, 2007

Clearing up the muddy Iraq oil debate

This is a good time to clear up some of the issues surrounding the debate over Iraq’s oil and proposed legislation related to the hydrocarbons sector. Oil Law Semantics Except for President Bush, most members of Congress and others detached, the "Oil Law," also referred to as the "Oil and Gas Law" and the "Hydrocarbons […]

Sep 20, 2007

Iraq Oil Unions Claim U.S. Troops Shot Chief Engineer

The Iraq Federation of Oil Unions held a protest in Basra today outside the Southern Oil Company’s office. They claim U.S. troops shot a worker in the Rumaila field, and want action by both the Iraq and U.S. governments. "They treated him as if he was an animal, they shot at him and kept on […]

Sep 18, 2007

Iraq War, Oil and Greenspan’s Gospel

The U.S. media blew up, and the Bush administration responded, when the 20 words from former Fed. Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan’s new book called out the oil motive for the Iraq war. Greenspan utilized his 15 minutes on the book circuit to explain what he meant to say, an apparent attempt to take the heat […]