Author Archive | Editor

IS damage to Iraqi Infrastructure totals $35bn

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said that the cost of damage to Iraqi infrastructure attributable to the Islamic State group (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) has reached $35 billion. Abadi said “IS destroyed relations among social categories in Iraq, not to mention the huge humanitarian cost represented the high numbers of deaths, injuries and displaced people”. […]

Oil Ministry "Unaware" of Kirkuk Oil Deal

By John Lee. A spokesperson of the Iraqi oil ministry has told Rudaw that the Ministry is not aware of any agreement between Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to end disputes over oil production and exports from the disputed Kirkuk oil fields. Reuters quoted PUK deputy chief Kosrat Rasul […]

Anton Oilfield Services Completes First Iraq Well

China'a Anton Oilfield Services (Antonoil) has announced that the Group's general workover and well completion project in Southern Iraq market was successfully started with the first well being completed on Tuesday. Acquiring in the third quarter of 2015 with an amount of approximately US$140.0 million and a contract duration of 3 years, the project commenced […]

Iraqi Entrepreneurship Centre

By Aziz Al Nassiri. Proposition Even though Iraq is an oil producing country, it is now with 35% of its population living below the poverty line. Unemployment running at 60% among the youth sector (17-25). Almost all important social indicators places the country among the bottom 5% of countries in the world. The country has […]

Oil Output to hit 5.4m bpd in 2022

By John Lee. According to a report from Bloomberg, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has predicted that Iraq will retain its position as OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer, adding 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) to reach 5.4 million bpd by 2022. Most of the increase will come from southern oilfields, such as the Shell's Majnoon project. […]

ISIS on Trajectory Toward Lasting Defeat

Despite a long road ahead for the U.S.-led coalition in its fight to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the enemy is being degraded by every measure and is on a trajectory to lasting defeat, a defense official told reporters on background today. In Iraq, with eastern Mosul liberated and the fight to […]

Details of Latest Counter-ISIS Strikes

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday’s strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes consisting of […]

US Issues New Travel Ban

By John Lee. United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order banning people from six mainly Muslim countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Unlike the order signed in January, which was blocked by the courts, this new order removes Iraq from the list, but imposes additional vetting for Iraqis. Importantly, […]

Lukoil to Increase Production at West Qurna

By John Lee. Russia's Lukoil is looking at different ways to increase oil production at West Qurna-2 from the current level of 400,000 barrels per day to 1.2 million bpd. The company's vice president in the region, Gati Al Jebouri [Gati Saadi Al-Jebouri] (pictured), told Gulf News: “Going forward, we are in discussions with Iraqi […]

Funding Facility for Stabilization: 350 Projects, $300m

The Annual Report 2016 presents progress with implementation of the Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS) between 01 January and 31 December 2016. During 2016, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) implemented a high impact, pragmatic approach to stabilization that improves citizen-government ties and revitalizes public trust in the Iraqi Government. FFS quadrupled in size, growing […]