Perspective: Iraq plays for high stakes

12 November 2004

Iraq plans to revive its national oil company, dismantled by Saddam Hussein, by the end of the year. But the structure and role of Iraq National Oil Co. are proving highly contentious, with arguments between Iraqi oil veterans, oil ministry officials and politicians in the interim establishment a reflection of the conflicting visions of Iraq’s future. Energy Intelligence Middle East correspondent Ruba Husari reports on the controversy, plus the high stakes involved.

When interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi outlined his vision for the future of Iraq’s oil industry to the Supreme Council for Oil Policy in August, oil veterans welcomed the move. But what he had in mind for Iraq National Oil Co. (INOC) soon had everyone wondering…

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Allawi . BP . Carroll . Chalabi . Chevron . Ghadban . INOC . Issam Chalabi . nationalization . NOC . Shell . SOC . Tariq Shafiq 2004

Perspective: Iraq — the view from Tehran

17  December 2004

With the date fast approaching for the first parliamentary elections since Saddam Hussein was toppled, Baghdad’s neighbors are already fretting about the likely outcome: a Shiite majority for the first time in modern Iraqi history. That could lead to a dramatic shift in the geopolitical balance between Shiite and Sunni Muslims across the Middle East. Expressing the concerns of many in the region, Jordan’s King Abdullah last week issued a stark warnings that a Shiite crescent stretching from Iran into Iraq, Syria and Lebanon could emerge if pro-Iranian parties and politicians dominate the new Iraqi government. US President George W. Bush joined the chorus this week, warning Iran against meddling in Iraq’s affairs. As far as Tehran is…

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Allawi . CPA . Daawa . Hakim . Iran . Jaafari . Khamenei . Khatami . Rafsanjani . Rezai . SCIRI . Shiite . Velayati 2004

Iraq Prepares Ground for Future Contracts

14 June 2004

Iraq’s oil ministry is setting out on a process of preparing a new oil policy, as well as drafting model contracts and a petroleum law, to be approved later by the country’s elected bodies, Iraq’s new Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban said in an interview.

The work aims to prepare Iraq for its political evolution, which should see the adoption of a new constitution in around 18 months, followed by the formation of the first non-transitional government since the war.

The policy and legal documents are prerequisites for major oil companies to start substantial negotiations on long-term oil deals with Iraq, which boasts the second-largest oil reserves in the world. However, other companies willing to take a bit more risk could…

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CPA . data . Ghadban . Halfaya . interim government . Majnoon . model contracts . Nahr bin Umar . Nassiriyah . oil policy . Ratawi . TAL . West Qurna 2004

Iraq Establishes Supreme Council for Oil, Gas

19 July 2004

Iraq’s interim government has taken its first step toward institutionalizing oil policy in Iraq by establishing the first supreme council for oil and gas.

“We don’t want oil policy to be in the hands of one person but it’s a matter for the whole nation represented by the prime minister and other members of the cabinet,” Thamer al-Ghadban, Iraq’s interim oil minister, told International Oil Daily from Baghdad on Friday. The council will be headed by Iyad Allawi, Iraq’s interim prime minister.

Iraq has never had a supreme council for the oil sector. Under the previous regime, Saddam Hussein was the absolute decision maker on everything related to the sector, including investments, marketing and foreign energy relations. Under Saddam, there…

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Allawi . DNO . Ghadban . PUK . Supreme council for oil and gas 2004