Mana’a Al-Obeidi

In an interview in his office in Kirkuk (North Iraq) late August, Manaa al-Obeidi, director general of North Oil Co (NOC) talks to Ruba Husari, editor of Iraq Oil Forum, about the state of the northern oil fields and NOC plans: Q: What is the state of the producing fields in northern Iraq? A: We have witnessed a relative increase in output from producing fields in the last 18 months….

Iraq: Splits Dog Oil Law

9 March 2007 Having waited so long for a law offering the framework necessary to regularize and legitimize future investments in Iraq’s vast oil resources, international firms itching to get their hands on the biggest Mideast opportunity in decades now find consensus — perhaps the most important ingredient of all — lacking. Iraqis are divided over the legitimacy of signing contracts while the country is wracked by chaos, and some…

Iraq’s Production, Export Status Seen Unchanged Until Late 2006

21 September 2005 Iraq is unlikely to see any major change in its current 2.2 million barrels per day of production capacity or in the paralysis of its northern export route until late 2006 or early 2007 at the earliest, according to former Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban. Upstream progress will only come with the implementation of recently awarded contracts and others under consideration, he told International Oil Daily Tuesday on…

Newly Appointed Iraqi Oil Minister Outlines Priorities

1 June 2004 Iraq’s newly appointed interim oil minister, Thamer al-Ghadban, aims to restructure his ministry and the companies under its umbrella, and to launch a number of long delayed oil development projects, he told Energy Intelligence Briefing on Tuesday, in his first interview after being sworn in. Al-Ghadban was named as part of the new interim government that will take over most of the power from the coalition occupation…