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,…

Iraqi Firm Forges Ahead With Drilling Plan Despite Potential War

27 February 2003 Unfazed by the current US military buildup and the potential risk to rigs from air raids or invading forces, Iraq’s Oil Drilling Co. (ODC) is forging ahead with drilling across the country’s oil fields in an attempt to beat its record of last year. But separate activities by foreign drillers under the UN’s oil-for-food program have been hit by the threat of war, with international companies either…

Despite Crisis, Iraq Outlines Grand Oil Plan

21 February 2003 Unfazed by the prospect of an imminent war, Iraqi oil officials are forging ahead with a 10-year plan drawn up last year, which aims to bring on stream early oil production from discovered but not-yet-developed fields, as well as launch an ambitious oil and gas exploration program to boost proven reserves. The 10-year plan, which stretches through 2012, aims at almost doubling oil production capacity in the…

Iraq: Who’s Working Where?

28 February 2003 In talking about possible war against Iraq, Bush administration officials insist that their main objective is not to get their hands on the country’s massive oil reserves. But post-war, fierce competition is almost bound to erupt between US oil firms that have been kept off-limits by the Iraqis, and those — including Russian, Asian, and European companies — that either have firm contracts with the current regime…