In 2012, 947,600 passengers used Erbil's new International Airport, a 53% increase on the previous year, whilst cargo tonnage also increased dramatically, with a 54% increase to 27,849 tonnes per annum. The 2012 passenger count brings the total number of passengers departing Erbil International Airport since the new terminal opened in September, 2010, to 1.7 […]
By John Lee. Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz opened the Arab Summit of Economic and Social Development in the presence of Arab kings and presidents in Riyadh on Monday. His Excellency the Vice President, Dr. Khudair Khuzaie presided the delegation of the Republic of Iraq to this summit. The delegation included the Minister of Foreign […]
A high-level UN delegation visited the Domiz refugee camp in Dohuk Governorate this week to witness the harsh living conditions of the refugees and to develop a joint coordinated response to the pending needs intensified in the sub-zero temperatures in Domiz. The delegation met with the Governor of Dohuk, Mr. Tamar R. Fatah, to thank […]
By Ali Abel Sadah, for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been forced to make new concessions to Sunni demonstrators and is finally losing his firm grip on the Accountability and Justice Law, also known as […]
The UK's Middle East Association invites you to register for what promises to be an engaging and interactive event led by a panel of experts who will outline some of the challenges, risks and also potential causes for optimism for the year ahead in the Middle East and North Africa. Following two years of major […]
By John Lee. Iraq has announced that it has discovered deposits of crude oil equivalent to one billion barrels of oil, following the first exploration work by state-owned firms in almost 30 years. The new oil find in Maysan [Missan] province, near the border with Iran, and could potentially make a significant addition to Baghdad's […]
By John Lee. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki held talks with ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson (pictured) on Monday. AFP reports that the meeting was the first between the two since the firm signed an oil exploration agreement with Kurdistan in October 2011, a move which angered Baghdad, which has said the company must choose between its deals with […]
By John Lee. The China Petroleum Pipeline (CPP) company is said to be close to winning a $650-million contract to build a pipeline linking the southern oilfields in Maysan province to the al-Fao [al Faw] storage depots. The chief of state-run Maysan Oil Company, Ali Maarij, told Reuters, that the line will expand the export […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi authorities have reportedly released the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Mohamed Salih, who has been detained for more than month on charges related to corruption. In October, Prime Minister Maliki removed the head of the central bank, Sinan al-Shabibi, accusing him of mismanagement and currency manipulation. He […]
By John Lee. The Chairman of Russia's LUKoil, Vagit Alekperov, has signed an amendment to the contract to develop the West Qurna-2 oil field with the South Oil Company (SOC). According to the amendment, the 18.75 percent share of the project formerly owned by the Norwegian company Statoil is to be taken over by LUKoil, […]
Advertising Feature Douglas-Westwood conducts comprehensive industry study into Iraq and Kurdistan Drilling and Oilfield Services market 2012-2016 The potential scale of the Iraqi oil sector is unprecedented in modern times, and represents a significant opportunity for the drilling and oilfield service industry. However, limited historical information, coupled with the highly complex political situation make accessing […]
By John Lee. Afren plc's trading statement and operations update includes the following review of its activities in Iraqi Kurdistan. Shares in the company closed up 2.7 percent: Barda Rash Having commenced an extensive testing programme at the BR-1 well in July 2012 and establishing oil rates in excess of 6,000 bopd of 28° to […]
