Thamir Al-Ghadhban

The Chairman of the steering committee that formulated Iraq’s first Integrated National Energy Strategy (INES) and head of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Commission (PMAC), Thamir Al-Ghadhban, explains in an interview in Baghdad with Ruba Husari, editor of Iraq Oil Forum, the formulation, the dynamics and the political risks impacting the strategy. Q: What is the Integrated National Energy Strategy and how did it come about? A: When we say a strategy…

Exxon’s Leap into Kurdistan

It was only a question of time before it became public. ExxonMobil’s move into Kurdistan region of Iraq was surrounded with lots of hush hush from the time it signed in October, until the moment the ministry of natural resources (MNR) in the KRG decided to score a fantastic public relations coup. Now that it is public, where does this leave the regional and the federal governments and what fate…

Hydrocarbon Law 2011

Does Iraq still need a hydrocarbon law? According to Tariq Shafiq who co-authored the first version of Iraq’s Oil & Gas Law in 2006, yes it does. So do others including the Kurds who made its enactment one of the conditions for backing Nouri al-Maliki for PM last year, and the latter as well since he agreed to do it within six months of taking office. However, the recent revival…

Wikileaks: Hydrocarbon Law

COM SECGEN BLAMES SHAHRISTANI FOR HYDROCARBON LEGISLATION MISHAP (2007) U/S JEFFERY’S MEETING WITH PM ADVISOR ON HYDROCARBON LAW (2007) KRG MINISTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES DISCUSSES HYDROCARBON LEGISLATION (2007) COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES (COR) OIL AND GAS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN, DR. ALI BELU (2007) DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER ON HYDROCARBON LAWS (KICKING OF BUTTS) (2007) COR OIL AND GAS CHAIR EXPLAINS STATUS OF OIL LAW: No First Reading Without Nechirvan’s Approval (2007) WHITHER IRAQI…