Iraq Business News brings you the latest information on developments and opportunities in the oil and gas industry in Iraq.
By John Lee. Reuters reports that the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) is planning to export 3.3 million bpd of Basra crude from its southern ports in February. December's total figure hit 2.94 million bpd, the highest since 1980, of which a record 2.76 million bpd of oil was exported from the country's southern terminals. (Source: […]
By John Lee. Fouad Hussein, a member of the Kirkuk provincial council’s oil and gas committee, has told Bloomberg that Iraq will double shipments of Kirkuk crude “in the coming few weeks” from about 150,000 bpd currently to 300,000 bpd. To achieve this, he said that it will be necessary to install a new pipeline […]
By John Lee. Petroceltic International has given the following update this morning on its operations in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: "Further to the temporary suspension announced on 11 August, drilling operations resumed at the Shireen exploration well on 2 October 2014. "Since recommencement, the well has encountered challenges with casing and cementing at high […]
By John Lee. As part of its Drilling and Production Update this morning, Dragon Oil made the following statement about its operations in Iraq: In December 2014, the consortium of Dragon Oil (30%) and Kuwait Energy (70% and operator) reported their second oil reservoir discovery at Block 9 in Iraq. The successful discovery was at […]
By John Lee. Oil Minister Dr. Adel Abdul Mahdi [Adel Abdel Mehdi] (pictured) has said that Egypt would like to purchase 4 million barrels of Iraqi oil per month, equivalent to about 130,000 bpd. The Minister, who is accompanying Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on his visit to Egypt, added that talks on subject are still […]
By John Lee. Shares in Afren plc have fallen more than 20 percent on Monday morning, after the company provided the following update in relation to its sixty percent working interest in the Barda Rash field in the Kurdistan region of Iraq: An updated Competent Person's Report (CPR) of Barda Rash, carried out as part […]
By John Lee. Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) has adjusted its official selling prices for its Basra Light and Kirkuk crude grades for February. In common with some other countries, Iraq’s oil is priced relative to regional benchmark prices: For shipments to US, contracts are priced are relative to the Argus Sour Crude Index […]
By John Lee. A Texas court has ruled that the case of a disputed shipment of crude oil from Iraqi Kurdistan, which has been waiting off the Galveston coast for several months, falls within its jurisdiction. The court also rejected the Kurdistan Regional Government's claims of sovereign immunity, leaving the way open for Iraq's oil […]
By John Lee. A source at Iraq’s North Oil Company has said that technical problems have stopped the export of Kirkuk crude oil to Turkey via the Kurdistan pipeline. He told BasNews that the problem happened in Turkey, not in the Kurdistan Region. It remains unclear when the problem will be resolved. (Source: BasNews)
By John Lee. Following the strengthening of relations between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and the planned reopening of the Saudi embassy in Baghdad next week, there is now a real possibility that the oil pipeline between the two countries could be reinstated. Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Baghdad following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in […]
By John Lee. Tehran Times reports that Iran plans to increase production from the Yadavaran oilfield, which straddles its border with Iraq, from 50,000 barrels per day to 85,000 bpd by September of this year. Iran began production at the oilfield in March 2012, while Iraq has yet to start. Iran shares the Yadavaran, Azadegan, and […]
By John Lee. Wood Group Intetech (WG Intetech) has successfully completed a six-month project for Hungary's MOL Group, which saw WG Intetech develop a detailed design for an acid gas reinjection well on MOL’s Akri-Bijeel field in Iraq. The scope of the agreement included well design and comprehensive materials selection for all well components. Dr […]
