Zain Iraq's Chief Steps Down
By John Lee. Following delays in its required stock market listing, which resulted in the imposition of fines by Iraq's communications regulator, Zain Iraq has announced key changes in its senior management, starting with the CEO Emad Makiya, who has stepped down from his post on Wednesday: Zain Iraq, an operating company of Kuwait's Mobile […]
Iraqi Farmers Get $1.4bn in Loans
By John Lee. The Iraqi Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday that it has lent 1.7 trillion Iraqi dinars ($1.4 billion) to farmers since 2008. Iraq is working to reach self-sufficiency in agricultural crops by 2018 after the implementation of an agricultural initiative that began in 2008 to improve the agricultural situation in the country after […]
Weekly Security Update
By Gary Sandiford, Olive Group’s Dubai based assessments manager. Olive Group is a leading provider of security and technology solutions and has operated continuously in Iraq since 2003. Overview Olive Group's Iraq statistics are drawn from multiple sources, including media reporting and direct liaison with in country assets. Included within the statistics are a […]
Iraq Signs Contract with Kuwait Energy for Siba Seismic
By John Lee. Iraq’s Oil Ministry has signed a contract with Kuwait Energy to carry out a seismic survey at the Siba gas field in Basra province. Kuwait Energy and Turkey's TPAO won the Siba contract in October 2010, agreeing to produce 100 million standard cubic feet of gas a day at a price of […]
China to Open Consulate in Erbil
By John Lee. The Chinese Ambassador to Iraq, Mr Ni Jian, met with Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani yesterday to explore ways of strengthening ties with the Kurdistan Region. Ambassador Jian presented his credentials to the Iraqi President last year November, and this is his first visit to Kurdistan. In his meeting with Prime Minister Barzani, […]
Cummins Power Supplies Cement Factory in Samawa
By John Lee. Modern Iraq Company for Trading Agencies (MICTA), the authorised distributor for Cummins Power Generation in Iraq, has provided a prime power solution to a cement factory in Samawa, midway between the capital Baghdad and Basra in the south. Al-Douh Cement Factory (pictured) needed 15 MW of self-generation capacity for its 5,000 m2 […]
UK, KRG, Expand Cooperation in Higher Education
By John Lee. The Kurdistan Regional Government Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr Ali Saeed, last week met with British ministers and universities to deepen and expand cooperation in the higher education and scientific research sectors. Minister Saeed led a delegation from the Kurdistan Region’s Council of Ministers and Ministry of Higher Education, […]
Petrofac Wins $100m Iraq Offshore Operations Contract
By John Lee. Petrofac, the international oil & gas service provider, has today signed a contract worth approximately US$100 million to provide offshore operations and maintenance services for the Iraq Crude Oil Expansion Project. Awarded by Iraq's South Oil Company (SOC), the 12-month contract will commence following a three-month mobilisation period. There is also additional […]
Dragon Oil Updates on Block 9
By John Lee. In its interim results for the period ended 30th June 2012, Dragon Oil today issued the following update on its business in Iraq: A consortium of companies, comprising Dragon Oil (30%), the Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) (30%) and Kuwait Energy (40% and operator), has been awarded an exploration, development and production service […]
Basra Investment Commission Issues Investment Guide
By John Lee. Basra Investment Commission has published a new guide for investors, covering such areas as opportunities, taxes, and how to get a visa. The quality of the English translation is rather poor, but it is still reasonably understandable. You can download the guide here.
KRG Minister of Agriculture and Water Visits UK
By John Lee. Professor Serwan Baban, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources, this week in London met Lord Green, Minister of State for Trade and Investment with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He also met other government officials in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and thanked them for […]
Iraq Warns Total over KRG Oil Deal
By John Lee. Iraqi authorities have warned France's Total that it must freeze its energy deal with Iraqi Kurdistan or sell its stake in the Halfaya oilfield, reports Reuters. Faisal Abdullah, a spokesman for Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani, said: "Iraq has officially asked Total to freeze or cancel its contract with the […]