Iraq signs Halliburton field deal, advances Chevron export pipeline studies

Iraq is continuing to advance a slate of energy deals with American companies ahead of Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi's planned July visit to Washington, signing a field management contract with Halliburton and authorizing new agreements with a U.S.-led consortium to study major crude export pipelines through Turkey and Syria.

The state-run Basra Oil Company (BOC) signed a five-year integrated management contract with Halliburton on Sunday to help develop the Nahr Bin Omar and Sindibad fields, which will remain under BOC operatorship. Oil Minister Bassim Khudair said the deals would raise combined production at the two fields to as much as 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude and 560 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d) of associated gas.