Iraq Business News brings you the latest information on developments and opportunities in the oil and gas industry in Iraq.
By John Lee. The Korea Gas Corporation (KOGAS), the state-run South Korean gas company, is to invest $4.9 billion (5.7 trillion Iraqi dinars) to develop the Zubair oilfield. In a stock exchange filing, the company said this investment is part of the total $19.4 billion capital expenditure required for the project, and added that it […]
By John Lee. Iraq has paid international oil companies (IOCs) $9 billion in remaining arrears for 2014, according to a report from Reuters. Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi (pictured) said that the outstanding fees for 2015 will be paid in stages until the beginning of next year. (Source: Reuters)
A new report suggests that Israel has bought more than three-quarters of its oil from the government of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. According to the Financial Times, Israeli firms and refineries imported over 19 million barrels of oil worth one billion dollars between May and August 20-15. That’s almost 77 percent of the crude exported […]
Gulf Keystone Petroleum (GKP) has announced that Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) has been appointed as Chief Strategy Officer. Mr Zahawi is joining Gulf Keystone's management team and will be responsible for the evaluation of strategic options for the Company, reporting to CEO Jón Ferrier. Mr Zahawi, 48, is of Kurdish origin, and moved from Iraq to […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ambassador to Iran, Rajeh Saber Aboud al-Moussavi, has said that Tehran and Baghdad are in talks on investment in the joint Azadegan oilfield. The field, situated 80-100 kilometres west of Ahvaz in Khuzestan province in Iran, was discovered in 1999, and has reserves estimated at 33 billion barrels. It is already […]
By John Lee. The KRG’s Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has issued a statement which it claims will "set the record straight on oil export and revenue:" The full text of the statement is shown below: In 2014, Dr. Maliki’s government cut the entire Kurdistan budget creating a financial crisis for the people of the […]
By John Lee. DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, set record production levels from the Tawke field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq during the second quarter of 2015 with output averaging 153,346 barrels of oil per day (bopd). A total of 118,037 bopd, representing 77 percent of field production, was delivered to […]
By John Lee. During a visit to the West Qurna II oilfield in Basra, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi reiterated his government's commitment to ensuring the security of the southern oilfields and their workers. He met with senior management of the Russian operator Lukoil, following protests by locals demanding jobs. A Lukoil official told Reuters that […]
By John Lee. Sabotage and theft from pipelines has cost the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) an estimated $501 million (584 billion Iraqi dinars) since the start of July, the KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement: "Persistent theft and attempted theft from the Iraq-Turkey crude oil pipeline in the southeast of Turkey continues […]
Russian oilfield services group ERIELL has signed a contract with LUKOIL Middle East to drill 25 production wells at the West Qurna-2 oilfield. “Company’s entry to the Iraq market marks the beginning of development of the Middle East region, which we deem extremely promising in terms of implementation of the ERIELL strategy of the contract portfolio […]
By Shwan Rahman. The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Legal Compliance in the Iraqi Oil and Gas Industry This study seeks to ascertain the causal link between the inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and compliance with international law standards. The reasons why various Iraqi governments since 1958 have been very reluctant to open […]
By John Lee. Shares in WesternZagros Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:WZR) closed 3 percent down on Thursday following the announcement of its operating and financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2015. Second quarter production from the Sarqala-1 well averaged 5,427 barrels of oil per day ("bbl/d"). The Sarqala-1 well has produced approximately 1.8 […]
