Iraq "to Cancel Total's Halfaya Oil Contract"
By John Lee. Reuters reports that Baghdad is working to cancel Total's involvement in the Halfaya oilfield, following the company's announcement that it signed exploration deals in Kurdistan. Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi, the director of the oil ministry's contracts directorate, said on Wednesday: "We are working to cancel Total's stake in the Halfaya contract. We will disqualify […]
Total in Kurdistan Deal with Marathon
By John Lee. Following months of speculation, France's Total has announced the completion of an acquisition of 35% interest in two exploration blocks in Iraqi Kurdistan. In a brief statement, the company said: "Total ... announced the signature of a Farm-in Agreement in two exploration blocks in Kurdistan Region of Iraq. "Total has completed an […]
Penspen Wins Contract for new Al Fao Power Plant
By John Lee. Oil and gas engineering group Penspen has signed an agreement with Siemens to provide engineering and procurement services for a new simple cycle power plant in Southern Iraq. Siemens has agreed a base scope with the State Company for Oil Projects (SCOP) to work on the engineering and supply of the power […]
Video: Iraq: After the Americans
In keeping with Barack Obama's presidential campaign promise, the US has withdrawn its troops from Iraq and by the end of 2012 US spending in Iraq will be just five per cent of what it was at its peak in 2008. In a special two-part series, AlJazeera's "Fault Lines" program travels across Iraq to take […]
Emirates Increases Flights to Basra
Reinforcing and strengthening the airline’s commitment to Basra, Emirates adds three additional flights between Dubai and the Iraqi southern port city, increasing the service from four to seven flights per week. Effective today (Wednesday 1st August), EK 945 will depart daily from Dubai at 13:55 hours and touch down at Basra International Airport at 14:45 […]
HEESCO Wins Engineering Contracts
Iraq's Ministry of Oil has announced that its subsidiary HEESCO (Heavy Engineering Equipment State Company) has signed contracts with two other Oil Ministry companies: With GFC (Gas Filling Company), to supply and install 2 spherical LPG tanks of 3,000 cubic meters capacity, at an estimated cost of 11.4 billion Iraqi dinars ($9.7 million), in the […]
Japan to Fund Nassiriya Power Station
By John Lee. The Ministry of Electricity announced that it has obtained long term funding from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the Nassiriya power station. According to the Kuwaiti News Agency (KUNA), JICA has approved a $2-billion loan for the project, which would be enough to cover the full cost. AIN, on the […]
US Wasted $206m on Iraqi Police Development Program
By John Lee. A report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) has found that $206 million was wasted on a program to train Iraqi police that Baghdad says is neither needed nor wanted. The Police Development Program (PDP) was to be a five-year multibillion-dollar program to train Iraq’s police forces, and was […]
ICP Recommends Compromises to Resolve Iraqi Crisis
To overcome Iraq’s current political crisis and prevent the breakdown of the entire post-2003 order, Prime Minister Maliki (pictured) and his opponents both will have to agree to painful compromises, according to this report from the International Crisis Group: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS At first glance, the current Iraqi political crisis looks like just one […]
MEA Iraqi Kurdistan Trade Mission 14-18 October
The UK's Middle East Association (MEA), in partnership with UKTI and the Kurdistan Regional Government, will be leading a Trade Delegation to Iraqi Kurdistan this October to coincide with the eighth Erbil International Trade Fair, Iraq’s largest general trade exhibition. Mission Participants will have the opportunity to exhibit at the Fair’s British Pavilion, as well […]
Diyala Concerns about Joint Iranian Oil Fields
The exploitation of oilfields jointly held with Iran is again causing tension in Iraq's Diyala province. AKnews reports that Diyala's energy committee chairman, Ismail al-Jabbouri, said: "The Iranian side is extracting large amounts of oil from the common fields within Diyala province. The Oil Ministry was informed about this issue but it did not take […]
Hundreds Convicted of Fraud in 1st Half 2012
By John Lee. In the first half of this year, Iraq's courts have issued 754 judgments in cases dealing with corruption and fraud involving public money, claims the Commission on Integrity. The cases, referred to the courts by the Commission, resulted in 816 convictions. In some cases, those convicted will remain in jail following completion […]