BR4 – New Timetable

New Updated timetable announced by PCLD – Ministry of Oil, as of October5, 2011 Deadline for Participants’ preliminary comments on Contract November 11, 2011 Workshop December 05 – 06, 2011 Final Participants’ comments on Contract December 23, 2011 Publication of the Final Tender Protocol and Definitive Contract January 27, 2012 Deadline for Payment of Participation Fees February 03, 2012 Submission of Bids March 07 – 08, 2012

Bid Round 4

Iraq’s oil ministry has set the ball rolling for its fourth bid round in two years by inviting international oil companies to pre-qualify to bid in its licensing round to be launched later this year. What’s on offer this time is 12 blocks or so, spread across the country where companies will be exploring for, primarily gas, but also for oil. Though Iraq does not need to develop any more…

Gas Exploration, A Government Priority?

As Iraq’s third bid round for gas field development drags on, mired by successive delays, with no viable commercial structure in the draft model contract and confusion over the utilization of gas to be produced, Iraq’s next government is better off focusing on increasing Iraq’s gas reserves by launching an exploration drive to find new gas resources and develop them. Iraq has 65 defined exploration blocks on its maps, the…

Kurdish-Iraqi Oil Minister Spat Escalates

1 May 2007 A war of words between Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani and Kurdish Energy Minister Ashti Hawrami over who has the authority to sign contracts with foreign companies, and over the extent of the proposed new Iraqi national oil company’s control over the country’s oil fields, is threatening to derail the draft oil law approved by the Iraqi cabinet in February. Al-Shahristani last week warned foreign companies that…