By John Lee. A seismic survey contract has been signed between the Iraq Oil Exploration Company and Zhenhua Oil (EBS Petroleum) for seismic survey work at the Abu Khema block in Muthanna province, covering the Annexe to Licensing Round Five and Licensing Round Six. The contract was signed on Wednesday in the presence of Minister […]
By John Lee. A new hydrocarbon discovery has been made at the Qurnain exploration block in southwest Iraq, marking the first oil find at any block awarded under the fifth supplementary and sixth licensing rounds. The discovery was confirmed following the drilling of exploratory well Shams-11, which began on 10th January 2026. A potential hydrocarbon […]
By John Lee. The Iraq Oil Exploration Company has completed a two-dimensional seismic survey programme for the Al-Qurnain exploration project in Najaf province, aimed at expanding Iraq's geological database and supporting future oil and gas discoveries. The project forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Oil to strengthen hydrocarbon exploration activities and increase the […]
By John Lee. The longest horizontal oil well ever drilled in Iraq has been completed at the East Baghdad oil field, southern area. The project was delivered by the Midland Oil Company in cooperation with the Chinese firm EBS Petroleum [Zhenhua Oil] and involved the drilling of the horizontal well EBMK-8-1H. The well reached a total […]
By John Lee. Firefighting and safety teams from the Midland Oil Company have assisted in extinguishing a fire at a private asphalt plant east of Baghdad. The incident occurred around four kilometres from the S2 site within the East Baghdad oil field, southern area, in the Kargouliya district. The company's teams responded as part of […]
From Rudaw. Any opinions expressed are those of the author(s), and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Chinese oil firm sees Iraq as its 'core market' A subsidiary of the Chinese state-owned ZhenHua Oil said on Sunday that Iraq is its "core market" and pledged to expand investments in the country's […]
By John Lee. Iraq's state-owned Oil Exploration Company and Al-Qarnain Petroleum, a subsidiary of China's ZhenHua Oil, have signed a contract for a two-dimensional seismic survey of the Al-Qarnain (Al-Quraynan) exploration block. Minister of Oil, Hayan Abdul Ghani, described the block as a promising oil and gas prospect on Iraq's border with Saudi Arabia. According […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Oil has signed an addendum to the contract for the development of the East Baghdad (South) oil field with EBS Petroleum. EBS Petroleum is a body registered in Iraq to conduct petroleum operations on behalf of China's ZhenHua Oil. The Minister confirmed that the agreement will enable the field to […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Drilling Company (IDC) has commenced drilling operations for the first well in an 18-well project at the Southern East Baghdad oil field, in cooperation with China's EBS Petroleum, a body registered in Iraq to conduct the petroleum operations on behalf of China's ZhenHua Oil, The project aims to boost national […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi Council of Ministers has approved a modification to the contract area of the East Baghdad Oil Field - Southern Region, adding 95 km² west of the Diyala River. According to the Media Office of the Prime Minister, this expansion aims to exploit an estimated 710 million barrels of crude oil […]
By John Lee. Iraq's Midland [Middle] Oil Company (MdOC) has reportedly announced the discovery of a significant oil reserve in the East Baghdad field. The discovery was made in collaboration with EBS Petroleum, a body registered in Iraq to conduct petroleum operations on behalf of China's ZhenHua Oil, According to state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA), […]
By Ameer Al-Auqaili, for The Diplomat. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Why Did Iraq Suspend a $10 Billion Deal With China? The decision to stall a massive oil-for-infrastructure agreement marks a turning point in Middle East power dynamics. The full article […]
