New Hospital to be Built in Maysan

Iraq's Minister for Reconstruction and Housing, Mohammed Daraji, said a new large hospital will be constructed in Maysan [Missan] province. Daraji told AKnews that the 260-bed project has been allocated 35 billion Iraqi dinars (IDQ) [$30m] from the ministry's budget. The three-floor maternity and emergency hospital will be constructed during 2011 over an area of […]

Security Review of Iraq 2010

Trends in 2010 demonstrated that violence is still a concern in Iraq. With opportunities for investment arising in 2011 the outlook for the country is fast improving, but companies looking to take part in Iraq’s economic redevelopment will have to take security into consideration if they are to succeed. Weekly Violence The above chart shows the […]

Sterling Energy Slips on Kurdistan Update

Shares in Sterling Energy (AIM: SEY), the independent oil and gas exploration and production company, fell 10% on Thursday morning following an update on operations at its Sangaw North block (53.33% working interest) in Kurdistan. Since the last update on 23 November 2010, operations have been conducted to remove the hydrocarbon gas, containing approximately 0.5% […]

Anti-US Cleric Returns to Iraq

Another wild-card was thrown into the Iraqi mix on Wednesday with the return of radical Shia'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr from nearly four years of self-imposed exile in Iran. A fierce opponent of the United States and head of Iraq's feared militia, the Mehdi Army, al-Sadr's return was reportedly low-key, and was not entirely unexpected following […]

Iraq’s Mosul to Produce 200,000 Barrels of Oil Per Day

The Province of Nineveh [Ninawa], of which Mosul is the capital, will soon turn into a major oil producing region in Iraq, with output estimated at 200,000 barrels a day, an Iraqi oil official said. According to the report from Azzaman, the official, who refused to be named, said the crude will mainly flow from […]

Gulf Keystone Jumps on Shaikan-3 News

Shares in Gulf Keystone (LSE: GKP)jumped 5.5% in London on Wednesday after the company announced the completion of drilling and testing operations on its Shaikan-3 shallow appraisal well. This well was designed to drill and test the Cretaceous intervals in the immediate vicinity of the Shaikan-1 discovery well. The Company has a 75 percent working […]

China Considers Cement Plant in Anbar

A delegation of Chinese companies specializing in cement production visited the Council of Anbar province on Tuesday to discuss investment projects in the region. The head of Anbar provincial council, Jassim al-Halbousi, told AKnews that the discussions focused on ways of increasing productivity at Anbar’s Qaem cement plant. “We hope it will be as significant […]

3 Large Iraqi Communications Contracts This Year

The Iraqi Ministry of Communications announced on Wednesday that it will offer three “large” investment projects during this year. The Ministry’s spokesman, Samor Ali Hassoun, told AKnews that the three projects are for normal telephone lines, Baghdad Communications Tower, and post offices. The Ministry’s preparations regarding this offer are ongoing, and international companies will be […]