2009 was a momentous year for Iraq’s oil and gas sector, for the first time in more than three decades, two bidding rounds took place.  What was on offer?  Development of just some of the countries prized oil and gas fields.

In a country where investment from the world’s IOCs is vital to its development plans for increased production, we saw international majors winning lucrative contracts – marking the starting point of their entry into long term relationships with Iraq.

Announcing Iraq 2010: Future Energy, The Energy Exchange provides the platform for you to meet and do business with top executives and gain insight into the short to medium term development of Iraq’s oil and gas sector.

We are please to announce early confirmed speakers including:

• His Excellency Thamir Al Ghadhban, Chairman, Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister of Iraq, Former Oil Minister
• Michael Townshend, President Iraq, BP
• Dr Abdul Hadi Al Hassani, Vice Chairman of the Oil and Gas Committee, Iraqi Parliament
• Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Executive Chairman, IBBC (Iraq Britain Business Council)
• Mounir Bouaziz, Vice President Commercial, New Business, LNG, Middle East and North Africa, Shell EP International

If you are interested in developing your activities and raising your profile within Iraq, then you should join us in Istanbul in September.

Look at some of the key topics to be addressed during Iraq 2010: Future Energy.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Download our ‘call for papers‘ submission form and elevate your profile by joining our specialist Iraq focused oil and gas executives.

If you are keen to discuss how The Energy Exchange’s Iraq 2010: Future Energy event can help you build and make a difference to your business in this new, growing and exciting market, contact:

For joining our thought leader speaker and advisory panels:

Claire Pallen, Director, Middle East Operations
UAE Mob: +971 50 264 1202
Fax: +44 (0) 1242 529 060
Email: c.pallen@theenergyexchange.co.uk

For sponsorship opportunities and heightening your profile within Iraq:

David Ling, Business Development Director, Middle East Operations
Tel: +44 (0)207 067 1864
Fax: +44 (0)207 067 1807
Email: d.ling@theenergyexchange.co.uk

Do not miss out on the opportunity to join us in Istanbul, register your attendance now.

The CWC Group understands the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and has included a panel discussion in their programme for the Iraq Mega Projects 2010 Conference & Exhibition, which is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey at the Hilton Hotel on 26- 28 October 2010. The discussion will highlight the benefits to the contract winners of adopting a Socially Responsible approach when conducting business in Iraq.

It is vital, after discussions with some of the contract award winners that Corporate Social Responsibility is planned correctly from day one and this is a concern to many involved in the re-building of Iraq. When you look at parts of the world where this has not been handled correctly it can have repercussions for years to come, both to the communities and to the stake holder. Iraq Mega Projects is an event developed by the industry for the industry. Therefore two sessions will be dedicated to the full range of issues involved with planning for correct Corporate Social Responsibility, focusing on training, technology transfer, recruitment, community engagement, security, local suppliers and human resources. It is a united effort between all parties involved in the petroleum contracts and with the local Iraqis.

The Conference & Exhibition will bring together the world’s leading contractors and field operators, the most important aspects to drive Iraq and its energy industry forward. Exhibitors such as Shell, Total, Halliburton and KBR will be part of the buyers and sellers forum, where oil & gas operators can meet all the necessary providers. The event will provide a number of networking opportunities for exhibitors and delegates to meet face-to-face with senior officials, to strengthen relationships with new and existing clients, and most importantly to do deals!
For further information contact:

Shunker Goel
Exhibitions Manager
The CWC Group
+44 20 7978 0080
sgoel@thecwcgroup.com

Website: www.thecwcgroup.com

Basra International Fair Ground
25 – 28 November 2010

Iraq is opening its doors. International Basra Oil and Gas Conference & Exhibition will take its place as the first and foremost gas and oil exhibition of the region. Events will have support from Iraq Government.

Exploring Iraq’s true natural resources, modernizing its oil and gas industry is the single and most expensive project of the world at least for the next decade. Basra Oil & Gas as the first will be a unique meeting point for interested parties to achieve the results of this project.

Given these advantages, Iraq can expand its oil production rapidly and supply the international oil market with substantial amounts of oil exports.  Considering the above possibilities of Iraq can make use and benefit from the future development of the international oil market and especially the future rapid increase in the global demand for oil. The International Energy Agency estimates that world demand will increase from the present level of 85mn b/d to 116mn b/d in 2030. In other words, in the next 23 years the global demand for oil will increase by about 30mn b/d. How will this increase be met and by whom?

Most of the world oil reserves (1,200bn barrels) are located in OPEC countries with its share reaching 76%. The Gulf countries’ share (Iraq, Iran and GCC states) is 62%.Therefore, there is a concentration of global oil reserves in a few countries, namely in the Gulf region including Iraq.

PR campaign has already started with ministries. Conference aims to cover macro dynamics of oil and gas industry in Iraq; emphasizing opportunities, challenges, and affects of projects. The governmental authorities, national oil and gas companies, recognized names of the industry will be involved with their speeches. Lunch, dinner and cocktail programs, along with other sponsorship opportunities are available.

Basra is ready and wants your business. There is no alternative for these events in the region. Participants of the first year will have a priority for the next years. Space is limited  and interested companies are urged to register early.

Basra: logistical hub of Iraq

Basra has no less than 70% of Iraq’s oil reserves but what makes Basra crucial is not just the oil reserve in the region but also its strategical location which is an attractive logistical port for the international companies. The city is located along the Shatt al Arab waterway near the Persian Gulf and defined as the southern gateway of Iraq.

There are 4 big advantages to invest in this region:  Large oil and gas reserves, low cost of oil production, oil fields are located across Iraq, and also the oil export routes are many and can go through several directions such as the Gulf, Turkey, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Jordan and Kuwait.

The Al Basrah Oil Terminal is the main Iraqi oil terminal for off loading oil from Iraq. It accounts for approximately 80% of their GDP on a daily basis and receives an average of 6 tankers per week and pumps around 1,5 million barrels of oil a day.

Basra is connected by air through its international airport with connecting flights to number of international capitals. Strategically located within the province of Basra, the city of Basra has four extensive highways, river transportation systems on both the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and a railway linking it to Baghdad.

Basra has a big potential to become perhaps the next Dubai with the shimmering skyscrapers in the future. It is already home to majority of professionals and company headquarters in the country However, to expand its oil industry, this region needs foreign investment, as this is a capital intensive industry. There is already number of companies operating in the region, but the potential of the region is not fully obtained. Therefore, International Basra Oil and Gas Conference & Exhibition will be the perfect platform to meet for all companies in the industry.

Because of the security measures taken by the government, Basra  has become a very safe city and no any big incident has happened for last three years. If any incident occurs, expert security staff is planted and they  reach any place in the city within minutes.You may also have additional information about the city from your country’s embassy.

Basra is one of the oldest Islamic cities which was established during the Islamic conquest in 625 A.D. The Prophet’s companion, Utba Bin Gazwan, choses the city site in 14 A.H. (636 A.D.), and the city was formally planned and built by Abu Musa Al-Asha’ari six months prior to the building of Kufa city upriver. Basra was constructed close to Al-Busaira from the most ancient eras of history.

A network of canals flowed through the city, giving it the nickname “The Venice of the Middle East”, at least at high tide. The tides at Basra fall by about 9 feet. For long, Basra grew the finest dates in the world.

The city was renovated by the financial help of the allies and  now  it is on way of being one of the glorious cities of Gulf region.

http://www.basraoilgas.com/
info@basraoilgas.com

The Iraq Petroleum 2010 conference will bring together high profile speakers, senior decision makers, leading businessmen, policy makers and advisors to debate key strategic issues, share expertise and exchange views.

As Iraq plans to quadruple its oil production and the second round of bidding is complete, this year we will be focusing on longer term objectives and building strategic relationships to ensure targets are met.

Over three days, including workshops and networking features, the leaders of the oil and gas industry will convene to meet suppliers and partners to help drive innovation and business.

There has never been a better time to be a part of the exciting opportunities in the Iraqi oil and gas industry.  Click here to get the latest updates.

“An excellent program allowing the participants to obtain the present situation of the Iraq oil industry and the opportunities offered to the IOCs”.
Jorge Duarte Pedro, Gas & Business Development Manager, Partex Services Portugal

To find out how your company can increase its profile within this burgeoning market place call Phillip Clarke on +44 20 7978 0056 or email pclarke@thecwcgroup.com

Prime Minister Barham Salih will arrive in the UK soon to speak at a major international conference on trade and investment in the Kurdistan Region.

Prime Minister Salih will give the keynote speech at the Kurdistan Trade and Investment Conference in London, which takes place on June 15th and 16th. He said, “We welcome international companies to come and do business in Kurdistan. Private sector investment has been helping the economy of the Kurdistan Region, making it a hub for economic and construction activity and a gateway to the rest of Iraq. The Kurdistan Regional Government is committed to improving our business environment and making it more conducive to investment by the day.”

The conference gives unparalleled access to Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) ministers and officials, and brings together foreign and senior Kurdish business participants. Keynote speakers include the Kurdistan Region’s Head of the Investment Board, Head of Foreign Relations and the ministers for Natural Resources, the Interior, Trade and Industry, Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Agriculture and Water Resources.

Those who will attend include British and international companies, major firms and chambers of commerce from the Kurdistan Region, foreign government representatives, economists, analysts and the business media.

The conference is chaired by Ms Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the KRG’s UK Representative. She said, “Kurdistan is already home to many international brands, from Coca Cola and Pepsi to Lafarge and Mercedes Benz. These companies and many others are already doing business successfully in Kurdistan. The London conference will give the opportunity to British and international business people to find out why and how they too can make the most of Kurdistan’s potential as the gateway to Iraq.”

The USAID Inma Program helps farmers improve quality, increase quantity, and reduce costs of production. This was the message coming out of

a conference held in the Kurdistan regional capital Erbil .about the current situation of the agriculture sector in The aim was to increase local agricultural production so that it can supply the regional and part of the national markets’ demands.

The conference was organized at the Hawler Theatre Hall in the Erbil International Hotel (EIH) on March 30, with the participation of the director of the Inma Project Mr. Ross Wherry, KRG Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources Mr. Jamil Sulaiman Haidar plus a number of local and international experts in the field of agriculture, farmers and representatives from the private sector.

The conference started with an opening speech by Wherry, in which he explained the objective of the one-day conference to send a message to the farmers in Kurdistan Region: “Where are your agricultural products? What is your plan for food safety and what are you future plans for the improvement of the agriculture sector and increasing the production?”

The director of the USAID-funded Inma Project said that their aim is to tell the farmers of northern Iraq how to minimize their production costs and earn money in return for the money they spend.

“We believe in the farmers of northern Iraq in terms of producing vegetables and fruit,” said Wherry “and we support the farmers not in terms of giving them money, but in terms of providing them with technology and information about how to improve quality and reduce costs.”

Experts participating in the conference stated that the conference was very important for this stage of agricultural development in the region, particularly in terms of transferring new science and technology . This is in addition to making use of the academic research being conducted by university agricultural students.

Farmers at the conference reiterated that KRG’s efforts to support the agriculture sector has been significantly successful and has had considerable positive impact but it still needs to make further progress.

The objective of Inma is to increase the competitiveness of Iraqi agriculture and agribusiness, helping reverse the negative effects of decades of central planning. It supports the development and expansion of commercial agribusiness enterprises producing and marketing high-value horticultural and animal products that enjoy immediate acceptance in the Iraqi consumer market.

Iraq, and especially Kurdistan Region, has a big agricultural potential, but it has not been utilized in a modern way with use of new technologies due to the wrong policies of the respective regimes in the country that neglected this vital source of Iraq’s economic development.

Currently a large portion of Iraq’s agricultural lands are not cultivated and have been abandoned by farmers who immigrated to the city centers in search of higher income and improved living standards.

Thus, experts think that government and aid organizations’ support is essential for the agriculture sector of the country to boom again and save the country from the threat that imported food is currently posing on Iraqis’ health and food safety.

( Kurdish Globe )

VoEx International LLC, an innovator and provider of global wireless telecommunications solutions and a leading provider of worldwide Multilingual Media over IP network integration and registry services, announced today that its President – Chief Strategy Officer Dr. Asaad Y. Alnajjar, P.E. will be heading the delegation to chair and speak at the forthcoming Iraq Telecommunications Conference organized by the CWC Group taking place in London November 10-11, 2009.

This Iraqi Telecom conference will facilitate a professional forum including Iraq’s Ministry of Telecommunications, ITPC, SCIS, global telecom decision makers, vendors, executives, financiers, and Wireless & Mobile operators together to discuss licenses issues, future technology adoption, and new venues for Iraq’s communications infrastructure, future design-build-operate projects, standards legal setting, and consumer protection regulations. Participants will be given the opportunity to meet with and hear from many major telecommunications players, as well as display relevant case studies that can be used as benchmarks for Iraq’s future.

Many senior officials from the Iraqi Ministry of Communication have already confirmed their involvement, in addition to numerous other representatives from major telecom companies and organizations.

For the past 6 years, VoEx has played a distinguished role in providing multiple channels of communication to the newly liberated Iraq.

Through advanced satellite technology, VoEx has supplied many major corporations, call centers, and internet cafes throughout Iraq with high-speed internet connectivity and excellent long-distance services utilizing enhanced VoIP networks. Since 2004, as part of a strategic partnership with Boeing Satellite, VoEx began the marketing and distribution of “Thuraya” Satellite-GSM phones & Data Services, allowing individuals throughout Iraq to make affordable mobile telephone calls to anywhere in the world. Furthermore, the top management of VoEx continues to provide many daily services to Iraq’s government, private sectors, and individuals.

During the conference Mr. Alnajjar will shed light on Quality of Service from a consumer’s point of view, market evolution in Iraq as part of the MENA region. Mr. Alnajjar will be chairing parts of the conference and leading discussions on Iraq’s expanding telecom infrastructure, current deployments, investment opportunities and Iraqi telecom issues.

Mr. Asaad Y. Alnajjar stated:

“Quality of Communication Services in Iraq is not discussed or addressed in depth and I am hoping this conference will cover this gap. VoEx executives have been extremely involved in the development and growth of Wireless products, solutions, connectivity and applications to expedite the deployment of these networks with the Middle East Region as part of the global evolution. VoEx™ team has presented in many global settings white papers and solutions that helped to achieve our advancements today.”

Further, Mr. Alnajjar added, “As I have always advocated, products sold in Iraq need to be of high quality and not rejects of other markets. The Iraqi consumer deserves the best quality of products.”

Mr. Alnajjar & VoEx Team has been very active in the research and development of next generation of wireless communications and information technology over the past twelve years. His work has included extensive research in WLL networks, WiMAX development, multilingual Internet and multilingual .IQ management, e164/eNum and Multilingual DNS resolution in coordination with ICANN & MINC, IP based products and applications, and the evolution of communications standards and policies under the umbrella of the ITU.