Archive | Iraq Oil & Gas News

Iraq Business News brings you the latest information on developments and opportunities in the oil and gas industry in Iraq.

Petrofac JV Wins $229m Contract at Rumaila

By John Lee. Petrofac has won a further inspection, maintenance and repair contract for the Rumaila oil field in Southern Iraq with its joint venture partner, China Petroleum Engineering & Construction Corporation (CPECC). The US$229 million contract was awarded by BP Iraq NV (BP), via the Rumaila Operating Organisation (ROO), following a competitive tender. The […]

OMV Comments on Kurdistan Operations

By John Lee. In its third quarter results, Austria energy company OMV had the following comments on its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan: Clean EBIT increased by 28% to EUR 617 million, mainly due to higher sales volumes in Libya and favorable FX effects which more than offset the lower oil price and higher exploration expenses […]

Iraq Expels Turkey's TPAO, asks Kuwait Energy to Replace

By John Lee. The Iraqi cabinet has expelled Turkey's state-owned Turkiye Petrolleri AO (TPAO) from the consortium that was granted the rights to explore energy block 9, and has asked Kuwait Energy to take over the shareholding. Abdul Mahdi Al Ameedi, director of the oil ministry’s Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD), said: "For reasons […]

Iraq says Exxon to Quit West Qurna-1

By John Lee. Exxon Mobil has informed the Iraqi government that it wants to pull out of the $50-billion West Qurna-1 oilfield project, according to a report from Reuters. Abdul Mahdi Al Ameedi, director of the oil ministry’s Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD), said: "Exxon has stated in its letter that it has started discussions […]

Iraq Signs Oil Exploration Deal with Lukoil, Inpex

Iraq has signed a deal with Russia's LUKoil, and Inpex Corp of Japan, to explore the 5,500-square-kilometer (2,100 square mile) Block 10 in Muthanna and Dhi Qar province. Under the contract, the two firms must invest at least $100 million and will be paid $5.99 for each barrel of oil equivalent it finds. "This contract represents […]

Pakistan Petroleum Signs Contract for Block 8

By John Lee. Iraq has signed a final contract with Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), giving it the right to explore gas Block 8, covering an area of 6,000 sq km in the Diyala and Wassit provinces in eastern Iraq. During the signing ceremony, Iraq's deputy oil minister, Ahmed al-Shamma, said "developing exploration block 8 could […]

DNO Expects KRG Payment Before Year-End

By John Lee. The Norwegian oil producer DNO International expects the Kurdistan Regional Government to pay the company part of the money it’s owed for exports by the end of the year. In September, Baghdad agreed to pay international companies 1 trillion Iraqi dinars ($858 million) and the KRG has received a first tranche of […]

DNO Taps Additional Oil in Kurdistan

By John Lee. DNO International, the Norwegian oil and gas company, announced today that the Benenan-3 well drilled on its Erbil license, Kurdistan region of Iraq, encountered an additional 210 meter oil column in the Najmeh reservoir which is expected to more than double the Benenan field's gross 2P oil-in-place volumes from 300 million barrels […]

Petroceltic Operations Update

By John Lee. In its operations update this morning, Petroceltic International issued the follow statement on its operation in Iraqi Kurdistan: Geophysical surveying operations at the Shakrok block (Petroceltic 16% working interest) were completed on 21 September 2012, with 276 kilometres of 2D seismic lines acquired. Drilling remains scheduled to commence on Shakrok in Q3 […]

$4bn for New Refinery in Karbala

By John Lee. The Ministry of Oil has allocated $4 billion for the construction of a new refinery in Karbala. According to a report from Azzaman, the 150,000-bpd refinery will take four years to complete and it will be built by Iraqi technicians and engineers under the supervision of a team of international experts. The […]