The latest news from Kurdistan – security updates, reconstruction and more – brought to you by Iraq Business News.
Following Total's statement on Friday that it was considering possible investments in Iraqi Kurdistan, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussain al-Shahristani warned the French major on Sunday that it would bear the "full consequences" if it did. "The position of the Iraqi government will be the same as with the other oil companies, that no company […]
On his first visit to Kurdistan, the Greek Ambassador to Iraq, Dr Mercourios B. Karafotias, said that he was surprised to see the level of progress that is being made in the Kurdistan Region. In his meeting with President Masoud Barzani on Tuesday, the Ambassador assured the President that the Hellenic Republic wants to play […]
Reuters reports that Iraq has allowed the privately-owned Korean firm SK Innovation to bid in its fourth energy auction, after the company sold its stake in the Bazian block in Kurdistan. The stake was sold to the state-owned Korea National Oil Corporation (KNOC), which was already barred from participating due to its stakes in both […]
An economic forum will be held in Dubai in two months time in the hope of fostering economic development in the Kurdistan Region and attractiong more investors to the booming regional economy. Shilan Khanaqa, Kurdistan Region's representative to the United Arab Emirates told AKnews that the two-day conference will be held under the auspices of […]
By Chris Bowers, British Consul General in Erbil. This article was originally published by Rudaw, and is re-published with permission by Iraq Business News. After months of waiting, we look to be in the final stages of government reshuffle. Around the world that is a time when the political system takes a deep breath, scans […]
The Sunday Times, citing unidentified industry sources, reports that French oil and gas producer Total is close to securing exploration rights over several exploration blocks in Iraqi Kurdistan. A deal could be announced within weeks, according to the newspaper. Chevron and ConocoPhillips are also believed to be competing for rights in the semi-autonomous region, following […]
AKE has compiled statistics covering violence in Iraq over the course of 2011. The average week saw 56 attacks, many of which included bombings targeting civilians on an indiscriminate basis. The Iraqi security forces also suffered numerous attacks and will likely remain a major focus for militant groups now that the US military has withdrawn […]
Prime Minister Barham Salih will hand over to former Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani in a reshuffle of the Kurdistan Regional Government cabinet. The move is part of the strategic alliance between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which are in a coalition government. Under the agreement, Dr Salih was […]
Gulf Keystone has issued an update on its ongoing exploration and appraisal programme in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which includes the Shaikan block, a major discovery with independently audited gross oil-in-place volumes of between 8 billion barrels to 13.4 billion barrels calculated on the P90 to P10 basis with a mean value of 10.5 […]
A member of the Dutch parliament, Van Bommel who is currently in Kurdistan Region on an official visit, said that the Netherlands is willing to increase its representation in the semi-autonomous region. During a meeting with President of the Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani, he said that the goal of his visit to Kurdistan is to […]
AKnews reports that the Kurdistan-Turkey economic forum kicked off on Wednesday in the Saad Abdulla Convention Hall in Erbil. Abdul-Khaleq Mohammed, press secretary for Kurdistan's Foreign Relations Office, told AKnews that the Turkish Trade Minister Zafer Çağlayan arrived in Erbil last night, at the head of a 175-strong delegation of 25 government officials and 150 […]
Genel Energy announced on Monday morning that it has taken a step forward in its strategy to consolidate its position as a leading oil and gas player in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq by becoming the government's sole Contractor in the Chia Surkh exploration block. The Company said today that it is to increase its […]
