The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Rosh Shaways [Rowsch Shaways], has asked government officials to stop threatening oil companies that are operating in Iraqi Kurdistan, according to Bloomberg. “These statements will give a negative picture to investors and violate the state’s public policy of opening the economy and promoting investments in all fields,” […]
ExxonMobil is to be excluded from Iraq's fourth licensing auction because of its deals in Iraqi Kurdistan. "The Iraqi government has decided that Exxon won't be allowed to participate in the next oil and gas bidding round," Faisal Abdullah, a spokesman for Iraq's Deputy Prime Minster for Energy, Hussein al-Shahristani, said on Monday. "We are […]
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 […]
Iraq’s legislation doesn’t prevent oil companies from signing deals with the central government in Baghdad and with the KRG, as ExxonMobil has done, said Adnan al-Janabi, chairman of Iraq’s Oil and Energy Committee. Speaking on the sidelines of an oil conference in London, he added, "there are no blacklists in parliament". “With or without the […]
Kurdish oil minister Ashti Hawrami (pictured) has confirmed the names of the six exploration blocks awarded by the Kurdistan Regional Government to ExxonMobil: Al Qush, northwest of Erbil city and formerly assigned to Komet Group but withdrawn for lack of development; Bashiqa, southeast of Al Qush town; Pirmam in Erbil; Betwata; Qura-Hanjeer, southwest of Chamchamal; […]
Nouri al-Maliki has said that the iraqi Government has no intention to cancel the contract with ExxonMobil to develop the West Qurna 1 oil field. "We haven't cancelled its contract in the south," said Mr. Maliki in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. "We are looking for a way for [ExxonMobil's] other contracts in […]
ExxonMobil's Chief Executive, Rex Tillerson (pictured), refused on Tuesday to answer questions about the company's deal with the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). When asked at a World Petroleum Congress in Qatar if he thought the contracts would hold up under Iraqi law, Tillerson said, "I'm not in a position to comment on that". At a […]
Iraq is reported to be in talks with the United States about the exploration deals signed by ExxonMobil in Iraqi Kurdistan without Baghdad's approval, according to a report from Reuters. Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Affairs Hussain Al Shahristani (pictured) said that Iraq was considering several options, not sanctions, over the deal and there was […]
Washington supports Baghdad's position regarding ExxonMobil's oil contracts with the Kurdistan Regional Government, according to reports from AKnews. Mahmoud Othman, a Representative from the Kurdish Blocs Coalition in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, told AKnews the measures the Iraqi government has taken towards Exxon are political and not economic. He said Baghdad believes this company […]
Russian news agency RBC Daily reports that Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil producer, is looking to expand its business in Iraq through buying part of ExxonMobil's 60% stake in the West Qurna 1 field. If the deal goes ahead Lukoil would hold 37.5% of the business. It is already in partnership with Norway's Statoil in the […]
The furore over the contract signed by US oil giant Exxon with Iraqi Kurdistan is another sign that Iraq urgently needs a new oil and gas law. As this primer from Niqash explains, the lack of this law could well be a sign that the dream of united Iraq is over. Any opinions expressed are […]
The President of Iraqi Kurdistan said on Wednesday that the region will go ahead with its exploration deal with U.S. oil major Exxon Mobil despite objections from Baghdad. According to Reuters, Masoud Barzani (pictured) said Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was told of the deal prior to its signing and had no objection, and called […]
