Iraq Oil Ministry opens oil and gas fields to more companies

Iraq's Oil Ministry has opened a new pre-qualification application process for firms that didn't pass the cut for the first round of oil and gas field bidding, Ben Lando reports for United Press International.

"The Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD) of the Ministry of Oil is pleased to announce the second pre-qualification process to qualify the non-qualified International Oil Companies, which were not qualified in the First Licensing Round, in addition to the IOCs that did not submit their documents in the said round," PCLD Director General Natik Al-Bayati said in an announcement released Monday.