Chinese Firm signs $390m Drilling Contract at Rumaila
By John Lee. China's Zhongman Petroleum and Natural Gas Group Corporation (ZPEC) has signed a major drilling engineering service contract for Iraq's giant Rumaila oilfield. The contract was signed on Sunday with the Basra Energy Company Limited (BECL), which was set up in 2021 to operate the field, and announced to the markets on Wednesday. […]
US Bans 14 Iraqi Banks from Dollar Transactions
By John Lee. The US has reportedly barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions, as part of a crackdown on illegal transfers of dollars to Iran and other sanctioned countries. According to the Wall Street Journal, the banks include Al Mustashar Islamic Bank, Erbil Bank, World Islamic Bank, Zain Iraq Islamic Bank and Al […]
New US Waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for Electricity
From Middle East Monitor, under a Creative Commons licence. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on Tuesday signed a new national security waiver letting Iraq pay Iran for electricity that, for the first time, allows such […]
Iraq's Power Problem (2): Implications of Iran Oil-for-Gas Deal
By Bilal Wahab and Dennis Ross, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Power Problem (Part 2): Implications of the New Oil-for-Gas Deal with Iran Baghdad hopes to avoid power cuts, political turmoil, and […]
Abu Dhabi Ports and Etihad Rail meet Iraqi Min. of Transport
By John Lee. The Iraqi Minister of Transport, Mr. Razaq Mahibis Al-Saadi, held a wide-ranging meeting with a delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) representing Abu Dhabi Ports and Etihad Rail at the Ministry's headquarters in recent days. He welcomed the visiting delegation, highlighting the exceptional relationship between Iraq and the UAE and expressing […]
Iraqi PM extends Hand of Friendship to Syria
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited Syria on Sunday, meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. In the first such visit by an Iraqi prime minister in at least 12 years, Sudani said his aim was to, "discuss cooperation in all fields, and to strengthen the relationship, which we believe […]
ONGC to Resume Exploration at Iraq's Block 20?
By John Lee. A report from Telegraph India suggests that ONGC Videsh Ltd (ONV) is considering resuming operations in Iraq. The company received the rights to Block 20 in the Western Desert (then known as "Block 8") in 2000, but declared force majeur in 2003 due to the security situation at that time. According to […]
AHG sees New Opportunities in Iraqi Fertilizer Sector
By John Lee. Mr. Mohammed Jaafar Al-Sadr, the Iraq Ambassador to London, received Mr. Amet Selman, CEO of AAA Holding Group (AHG) and an investor in the phosphate fertilizer plant in Basra on Monday. During the meeting, Mr. Selman briefed the Ambassador about the company's activities in Iraq, particularly their partnership with the Ministry of […]
Hakan Fidan and the New Turkish Diplomacy in Iraq
By Firas Elias for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Hakan Fidan and the New Turkish Diplomacy in Iraq As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan (pictured) will have to navigate urgent changes and new […]
Draft Laws "threaten" Human Rights in Iraq
By Amnesty International. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq: Draft laws threaten rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly The Iraqi government has re-introduced two draft laws to the Parliament which, if passed, would severely curtail the rights to freedom […]
Why TotalEnergies' $27bn Iraq Deal is a Gamechanger
By Simon Watkins for the OilPrice.com. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Why TotalEnergies' $27 Billion Deal With Iraq Is A Gamechanger The long-delayed US$27-billion four-pronged megadeal between France's TotalEnergies and the Federal Government of Iraq has received the final go-ahead from […]
Iraq's Power Problem: Financial and Technical Challenges
By Noam Raydan for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's Power Problem (Part 1): Persistent Financial and Technical Challenges Diversifying Iraq's energy supplies won't mean much if its power infrastructure is not rehabilitated, and […]