Iraq Tightens Oilfield Security
Iraq has tightened security around oil infrastructure and oilfields in the south, in response to intelligence suggesting al Qaeda and other insurgent groups plan to attack oil facilities, a security official said. Reuters reports that Ali al-Maliki, head of the municipal security committee in the southern oil hub of Basra, said the information indicated that […]
New Opportunities for Private Power Generation in Baghdad
Authorities in Iraq say they will install “giant power generators” in Baghdad in their latest bid to put an end to power shortages. The plants will have capacities of about 5MW - hardly 'giant', but the plan is to have more than 500 of them in place throughout the city by next summer, operated by […]
Kurdistan's Fuel Allocation Cut - Why?
Reuters reports on Sunday that the cut in Baghdad's allocation of fuel to Iraqi Kurdistan is related to the admission last month that the region is has been exporting petroleum products through Iran. We reported at the weekend that the cut was in response to the new gas agreement between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) […]
Weak Laws Deter Iraq Investors More Than Violence
Seven years after the invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein, Iraq largely has been unable to revamp business laws that would help make the country more attractive to investors, according to a report from Bloomberg. “Investors still note security concerns, but now are more likely to cite regulatory hindrances and other practical barriers to doing business,” […]
150 firms in Basra Construction Int’l Fair
More than 150 local and foreign firms will participate in the Basra Construction International Fair that will take place by the end of this month, according to a report from Aswat al-Iraq. “Most of the participating firms are either foreign or Arab,” said a local source. The fair will start on Sept. 24th and end […]
Iraq to Achieve 'Self-Sufficiency' in Wheat
Iraq is expected to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production during the next two years thanks to the government’s large subsidy to farmers and encouragement to cultivate grains, a trade ministry official said on Sunday. “The targeted self-sufficiency can be achieved also due to an increase in prices of the amounts given to the trade ministry’s […]
Romanian Companies Building in Karbala
Karbala's Investment Commission signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Saturday with eight Romanian companies to implement a number of housing, agricultural and industrial projects in the province. “The projects includes the construction of 1,000 building units over an area of 10 hectares [40 donums] equipped with all facilities as well as the building of […]
Dutch Company Designs Housing for Maysan
A Dutch company will design a model for low-cost housing in Maysan [Missan], a spokesperson for the Dutch companies in Missan last week. “A Dutch group specialized in housing projects has agreed with the State Ministry for Marshes Development to design low-cost houses,” Jaseb al-Marsoumi told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. “The government will receive the […]
Nahrwan Bridge Opened
The Mayor of Baghdad has inaugurated new al-Nahrwan bridge, which links Baghdad to northern and southern Iraqi provinces and helps traffic of trucks to the northern areas of the country without having to pass by the capital, according to the Baghdad Mayoralty in a statement on Sunday. “The project, a vital one for the movement […]
Biggest Olive Groves in Middle East - in Diyala!
Diyala's provincial government says that Spanish companies have submitted bids to establish the biggest olive plantation in the Middle East. According to a report from Al SumariaTV, the groves would cover an area of 50,000 donums, which equates to 12,500 hectares, or about 31,000 acres. The same source said that an Emirati company and an […]
New Blog Series - Construction in Iraq
Iraq, 1980. The Iranian F15s swooped around the partially constructed Ishtar Sheraton, followed the Tigris river beside Abu Nawas Street and launched their missiles at Al Dora refinery. Thirty years of war and unrest had begun. I know because I was there – I was the project quantity surveyor then, working for the State Organisation […]
Gulf Keystone Starts Drilling at Shaikan-3
Gulf Keystone (LSE: GKP), the Kurdistan-focused oil explorer widely rumoured to be a takeover target, has announced the commencement of drilling operations on its Shaikan-3 appraisal well, effective September 2, 2010. This is a shallow appraisal well, very close to the Shaikan-1 well, the site of last year's discovery of the giant Shaikan oil field. […]