Iraq Wastes $57m of Cooking Oil Rations
About $57 million worth of cooking oil once destined for Iraq's national food rationing programme may be fed to animals because it was left outdoors for three years and passed its expiry date for human consumption, according to a report from Reuters. A parliamentary committee suggested turning the wasted 30,000 tonnes of vegetable oil into […]
Still No Vice-Presidents after State of Law Withdrawal from Parliament
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. The opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. […]
CROSCO Wins Drilling Contract in Kurdistan
CROSCO Integrated Drilling & Well Services Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that wholly-owned subsidiary Rotary Drilling Company commenced with the provision of drilling services for Kalegran Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company. Drilling services are being provided with Rotary 2000 HP drilling rig Rotary 67 (pictured). The Bekhme 1 […]
Iraq Central Bank 'To remove 3 Zeroes from Dinar"
Iraq’s Central Bank announced on Tuesday that the project to re-denominate the Iraqi Dinar, removing three zeroes, is close to completion. According to the report from Alsumaria TV, the re-denomination project is believed to be a strategic plan that will be passed to the ministerial council and Parliament once complete. A Central Bank’s advisor, Mothahhar […]
New Iraq Oil Prices for May
Iraq’s State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO) has adjusted its official selling prices for its Basra Light and Kirkuk crude grades for March. In common with some other countries, Iraq’s oil is priced relative to regional benchmark prices: For shipments to US, contracts are priced are relative to the Argus Sour Crude Index (ASCI); Shipments to […]
UK Businessman Jailed for Iraq Bribery
British businessman Mark Jessop has admitted breaking United Nations sanctions during the Oil For Food Programme by making illegal payments to Saddam Hussein's government. He has been sentenced today at Southwark Crown Court to 24 weeks' imprisonment and ordered to pay compensation and costs. Background Mark Rodney Jessop, aged 53, sold medical goods to the […]
Six New Investment Licences in Najaf
Najaf Investment Commission has announced that it granted six new licenses for investment in various sectors, with a total value of $98.5 million [115 billion Iraqi dinars]. The head of the board, Wafi Albhash, told AKnews that the investment licences included: a five-star hotel valued at $36.2 million, consisting of 12-storeys, 210-rooms and 10 hotel […]
Iraq's Progress Depends on Foreign Expertise
Perhaps the most positive news out of Iraq in the past week came late on Wednesday, as the Canadian-based explorer ShaMaran Petroleum announced a major oil discovery at its Atrush-1 well in Kurdistan. ShaMaran has an 80% stake in the project, with Marathon Oil Corp holding the remaining 20%. The news comes as Baghdad and […]
Weekly Security Update for 14th April 2011
Overview There was a fall in the number of violent incidents taking place in Iraq last week, although there was a spate of attacks around the centre of the country on Monday, leaving a number of people dead. In general, violence remains concentrated in Baghdad, the dstricts immediately surrounding it, and the northern city of […]
ShaMaran Strikes Oil in Kurdistan
ShaMaran Petroleum Corp has announced a major oil discovery in the recently drilled Atrush-1 exploration well in Kurdistan. The Atrush-1 well was spud on October 5, 2010 and successfully reached a revised total depth of 3400m on January 21, 2011 after 91 days. The well was drilled on time and within budget and encountered a […]
$400m Makeover for Saddam's Palace
Kings, presidents and emirs are invited to a former Saddam palace for the Arab League summit in May. Saddam Hussein's former palace in Baghdad has been completely renovated in preparation for the historic summit. The palace, which has a history as tumultuous as the country's, has been given a $400m makeover. Many hope the gleaming […]
50 Spanish Companies Join Erbil Business Forum
Spain’s official foreign trade agency yesterday [Monday] launched a two-day business forum in Erbil to strengthen commercial ties between Spain and the Kurdistan Region. At the forum, 50 leading Spanish companies met government officials and representatives of over 150 local firms. On behalf of Prime Minister Barham Salih, the Chairman of Kurdistan’s Investment Board Minister […]