Custom Search

By John Lee.

Iraq's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD) has announced the five additional companies have been approved to bid for Iraq's "borderline onshore & offshore exploration blocks & fields."

The companies are listed as:

• Dana Gas (UAE)
• Dragon Oil (UAE)
• Geo-Jade Petroleum (China)
• Schlumberger (USA)
• Zarubezhneft (Russia)

Eight companies had applied for approval.

The five successful companies will be eligible to compete along with the following companies which are qualified from previous licensing rounds:

• BP (United Kingdom)
• China Zhenhua Oil Company (China)
• China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (China)
• China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) (China)
• Crescent Petroleum (UAE)
• Daqing (China)
• Eni (Italy)
• ExxonMobil (US)
• Gazprom (Russia)
• Itochu (Japan)
• JSOC Bashneft (Russia)
• Kogas (Korea Gas Corporation) (South Korea)
• Lukoil (Russia)
• ONGC Videsh (India)
• Pakistan Petroleum (Pakistan)
• Pertamina (Indonesia)
• Petronas (Malaysia)
• Shell (Netherlands/UK)
• Sinopec (China)
• United Energy Group (UEG) (China)
• Total (France)

The areas to be offered include the onshore exploration blocks of Khudher Al-Mai, Jebel Sanam (Jabal Sanam) and Umm-Qasr on the Kuwaiti border; the Sindbad, Huwaiza, Shihabi, Zurbatia and Naft Khana blocks on the Iranian border; and the offshore exploration blocks in the Iraqi regional waters of the Arab gulf.

The bidding process should commence in May, according to the following schedule:

(Source: Oil Ministry)

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi] (pictured) has announced exploration and rehabilitation projects for nine exploration blocks in Iraq.

These include the onshore exploration blocks of Khudher Al-Mai, Jabal Sanam [Jebel Sinam, Jebel Sanam] and Umm-Qasr on the Kuwaiti border; the Sindbad, Huwaiza, Shihabi, Zurbatia and Naft Khana blocks on the Iranian border; and the offshore exploration blocks in the Iraqi regional waters of the Arab gulf.

The Ministry's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate (PCLD) will prepare all the related technical data for companies that wish to buy them and participate in the competition to rehabilitate the exploration blocks.

He said also that the foreign companies not yet qualified but wanting to participate can present their technical, financial, legal, health & safety, security and environmental information and documents to the PCLD.

(Source: Ministry of Oil)

By Simon Kent.

Iraq's Deputy Oil Minister Fayadh Nema, who is currently acting Oil Minister until Abadi's new cabinet is finalized, has recently announced a trip to Tehran to discuss cross border oil fields.

Once a controversial topic between Tehran and Baghdad, Iraq's many cross border oil fields are now back on the agenda as sanctions fall away from Iraq's neighbour.

Plans are now underway to develop a series of fields including Huwaiza in Maysan province, south of Baghdad, and Naft Khana in Diyala province, north east of the capital. In Basra, the field of Sindbad [Sindibad] is also being discussed.

Initial accounts suggest the Maysan Oil Company [Missan Oil Company] has been in talks with PetroChina, who would represent the Iraqi government in a Joint Venture to develop the Huwaiza field.

(Source: Platts)

The group of US investors held talks with local officials in Basra about establishing a tourist project on Sindbad Island [Sinbad Island], a source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency on Wednesday.

A delegation from the group discussed the project with Basra's Governor, Shaltagh Abboud, and Deputy Chairman of Basra Council, Ahmad al-Sulieti.

“The project includes the establishment of several malls, hotels and entertainment centres,” he said, noting that the governor expressed his enthusiasm to facilitate such projects.

Many expect Iraq to become the next tourist hot-spot, and visitors can now book travel insurance to Iraq online.

(Source: Aswat al-Iraq)

Basra, 11 May 2010 - Aswat Al Iraq

The World Bank agreed to finance a project to rehabilitate the road linking Umm Qasr port with Basra city, Basra governor said on Monday.

“The World Bank’s agreement allowed a Danish company to implement the project, in cooperation with a local company,” Shaltagh Abboud Mayah told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

“The rehabilitation of this road will develop the Iraqi ports’ work as it considered the main road for goods and cargos arrived in the port from abroad,” he added.

The governor announced also two more projects in Basra; the first is the rehabilitation of Khaled Ibn al-Walied bridge and the reconstruction of Sindbad touristic island,” he said.