Reuters reports that Iraq has approved six more energy companies to participate in its 4th energy auction, raising the number of pre-qualified bidders to 46.

“We have six companies that were not qualified first, but after reviewing their information, we asked them to submit further documents to support their position. We have decided to qualify them after they offered the required documents,” Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi, director of the oil ministry’s contracts and licensing directorate, told the agency.

Ameedi said the six new companies were: Dubai-based oil explorer Dragon Oil Plc , Glencore International Plc , Gulfsands Petroleum Plc , China’s Zhenhua Oil, Vitol Holding BV and Romania’s Romgaz.

The other 40 companies are listed here.

The Oil Ministry has excluded U.S oil company Hess Corp because the company signed deals with Iraq’s northern Kurdish region.

The auction for 12 new exploration blocs, scheduled for late January, is expected to add 29 trillion cubic feet of gas and 10 billion barrels of oil to Iraqi reserves. Iraq will meet with executives from the energy companies at a roadshow on 11th September in Amman, Jordan and present a data package with initial tender protocols to the companies on 12th Sept.

(Source: Reuters)

An official from the Kurdistan Exporters and Importers Union said on Tuesday that three Romanian companies will open offices in the Kurdistan Region next week. The offices will be their only representation across Iraq and the Middle East.

Bakhtyar Ahmed, the media secretary for the union, told AKnews the offices will be opened in Sulaimaniya City in a ceremony Saturday. He added that the first project the companies have planned to undertake is building a residential project, called the Romanian Village.

The companies will invest in construction of residential projects, roads, and dams, as well as importing medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

Ahmed added the owners want to open offices in Dohuk and Erbil as well. Dohuk, Sulaimaniya and Erbil are the three official provinces in the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdish official also quoted Pasco Daniel, the owner of one of the companies, as saying the three companies have 10 years experience working in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Moldavia, as well as in Romania. The security of Kurdistan as well as it booming economy has attracted the companies, he said.

Investors are increasingly drawn to Kurdistan as the Region promotes its image as a safe and lucrative area for business and a gate to trade with the rest of Iraq.

(Source: AKnews)

A Romanian company has received initial approvals to implement a residential project in Basra, according to an official from the Basra Investment Commission (BIC).

“The BIC granted its initial approval to a Romanian company to carry out a residential project, which will include 6200 units in al-Kazieza region, northern Basra,” the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The project will be implemented in four phases; each phase will include 1600 units,” he added.

“The project will receive the final and official agreements soon,” the source said.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

Romanian natural gas producer Romgaz is interested in petroleum resources in the autonomous region of Kurdistan, in northern Iraq.

But according to the report from Financiarul, the Romanian news agency, any investment will depend to a great extent on the “very delicate” political situation in this region, deputy general manager Francisc Toth (pictured) said in a press conference.

“Romgaz is interested in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. … Romgaz visited the area and received several data packages …. we know it is a very delicate zone from the standpoint of political relations, which also influence trade relations. Time is needed”, said Toth.

He also said that Romgaz management already held discussions with the Minister of Mineral Resources of Iraqi Kurdistan, but the “process is slow and difficult” until an oil field concession could be concluded.

(Source: Financiarul, Romgaz)

Karbala’s Investment Commission signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Saturday with eight Romanian companies to implement a number of housing, agricultural and industrial projects in the province.

“The projects includes the construction of 1,000 building units over an area of 10 hectares [40 donums] equipped with all facilities as well as the building of a farm for cow husbandry and animal fodder,” Tarrad al-Asali told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

Another MoU was signed to implement a project to build a waste-recycling plant, and a facility to pave roads without creating dust,” he added.

(Sources: Aswat al-Iraq, Karbala Investment Commission)

The Romanian government has offered the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education 10 graduate scholarships.

“There are three scholarships to earn a masters degree, and seven to earn the doctorate grade,” the Ministry said in a release on Sunday received by Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

It explained that the scholarships embrace the fields of biotechnology, medical engineering, and tourism within the masters level, and biotechnology, operational research, mathematics, accounting, economy, law, and archeology within the doctorate level.

( Aswat Al Iraq )