1,300 New Teachers for Erbil
By John Lee. A member of the employment committee in Erbil province has announced that 1,292 new teachers will be employed in the province. According to a report from AKnews, Hussein Kakil said it is necessary to fill the vacancies before schools re-open in September. The Kurdistan Regional Government is said to have 17,000 job […]
The Syrian Crisis and Erbil-Baghdad Relations
By Reidar Visser. The following article was published by Reidar Visser, an historian of Iraq educated at the University of Oxford and currently based at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It is reproduced here with the author’s permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq […]
Weekly Security Update for 2 August 2012
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 Groups Iraq statistics are drawn from multiple sources, including media reporting and direct liaison with in country assets. Included within the statistics […]
Major IOCs Voting With Their Feet
By Padraig O'Hannelly. Tensions between Iraqi Kurdistan and the central government in Baghdad have increased significantly in recent times, both politically and commercially. On the political front, the "difference of opinion" about the sending of Iraqi troops to the border between Iraqi Kurdistan and Syria was eclipsed by reports that the Kurdistan Regional Government has […]
Ministry of Oil: Chevron "Should be Ashamed"
By John Lee. The Iraqi Oil Ministry has re-confirmed that Chevron is barred from contracts with the Federal Goverment in Baghdad, and says the company "should be ashamed of their action" in dealing with the Kurdistan Regional Government, which it accuses of smuggling. The Ministry issued the following statement on Wednesday: Chevron Oil Company announced […]
Iraq to Set Date Soon for Nassiriya Oil Field Bids
By John Lee. Abdul-Mahdy al-Ameedi, the director of the Iraqi oil ministry's contracts directorate, has said that Iraq will soon set a date for international oil companies (IOCs) to bid to develop the giant Nassiriya oilfield. The largely undeveloped field has estimated reserves of just under 5 billion barrels. According to information from Reuters, there […]
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 […]