Interviews

Q&A: Bassim Mohammed Khudair, Deputy Oil Minister for Upstream

Iraq's top upstream oil official confirms that production, curtailed by war, is ready to surge back online — but only once ships can reliably resume Basra Gulf export loadings.

Deputy Oil Minister Bassim Mohammed Khudair (center) and Basra Oil Company Director General Bassim Abdul Karim (right) tour part of the Ratawi project led by TotalEnergies in February 2026. (Photo credit: Oil Ministry)

Mar 8, 2016

Q&A: Ali al-Allaq, governor of the Central Bank of Iraq

The chief of Iraq’s lynchpin financial institution details the measures being used to prop up Iraq’s budget with its currency reserves.

Feb 3, 2016

Q&A: Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim

The province where Iraq's oil industry was born is starting to get paid for oil by the Kurdistan region. Kirkuk's governor explains the new "petrodollar" deal.

Jan 13, 2016

Q&A: Lukman Faily, Iraqi Ambassador to the U.S.

Iraq's envoy to Washington discusses the scope of destruction wrought by IS militants, the resources needed to respond, and what comes next in the war.

Dec 16, 2015

Q&A: South Gas Company chief Ali Khudair

The head of Iraq’s anti-flaring efforts discusses progress – and delays – on the long road to capitalizing on the country's natural gas wealth.

Dec 9, 2015

Q&A: Oil Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi – Part 2

Iraq's oil minister discusses budget negotiations and the dispute with the KRG over oil fields, exports and revenues.

Dec 8, 2015

Q&A: Oil Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi – Part 1

Iraq's oil minister discusses increasing production despite a fiscal squeeze, measures to keep IOCs whole, the Basra Gas Company and Zubair projects, and more.

Dec 4, 2015

Q&A: SOMO’s Falah Alamri

The head of Iraq's oil marketing authority touts the market's embrace of the new Basra Heavy crude blend, which will account for most of the country's upcoming export growth.

Dec 4, 2015

Q&A: Kirkuk Gov. Najmaldin Karim

Positioned between Baghdad and the KRG, Karim explains how he is negotiating to squeeze badly needed resources from both sides.

Aug 9, 2015

Q&A: PKK spokesperson Zagros Hiwa

The PKK does not intend to make further attacks on the pipeline carrying oil from Iraq to Turkey's Ceyhan port, though other Turkish infrastructure remains in the crosshairs.

Jun 4, 2015

Q&A: Oil Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi

On the sidelines of OPEC meetings, Abd al-Mahdi discusses Iraq's record exports, oil company payments, the relationship with Kurdistan, and new projects on the horizon.