29 April 2003 Iraq’s Baiji refinery — the biggest and newest of the country’s three main refineries — is being protected by members of the nearby Qaissi tribe. For the 5,000 workers at the Baiji refinery, 200 kilometers north of Baghdad, the first real contacts with US soldiers have yet to come. Hundreds of US army trucks can been seen moving north on the road from Baghdad to Mosul, but…
Year: 2009
US Wants Iraqi Ministries Running Soon; Political Plan Unclear
25 April 2003 The chief civil administrator of Iraq, retired US general Jay Garner, announced Thursday that the process of governing Iraq would start next week with the reopening of ministries “which will have Iraqi faces on them” to offer services to the public. Garner also stressed that Iraqi exiles enlisted by Washington to help run important sectors, such as oil, would only be deployed on a temporary basis. But…
In Kirkuk, Oil Firm Struggles Back to Feet
24 April 2003 Until two weeks ago, Iraq’s North Oil Co. (NOC) was responsible for production capacity of more than 1 million barrels per day, centering on the giant Kirkuk oil field. Output came to an abrupt halt two weeks ago, when northern Iraq fell to US-led forces. And now, NOC appears to have been battered almost out of existence: Its headquarters are destroyed, its data is lost, and equipment…
Iraqi Officials Take Initiative Restarting Oil
23 April 2003 The first Iraqi oil production since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime is set to restart next week from the northern Kirkuk complex, but would be limited to supplying the domestic market in terms of crude for refineries and natural gas for power stations, according to a senior Iraqi official. The plans show Iraqi officials taking the initiative on this and other aspects of the war-damaged oil…