Iraq Awards Studies for Top Reservoirs

18 January 2005 Iraq’s oil ministry has awarded contracts for reservoir studies at its giant Kirkuk and Rumaila oil fields to UK major BP and UK-based Exploration Consultants Ltd. (ECL), a senior Iraqi official said Friday. Royal Dutch/Shell will also play a supporting role to the oil ministry on the Kirkuk study under a technical service agreement, the official added — which will include the Anglo-Dutch major financing that field’s…

Two Years On, Iraq Output Still Struggling

9 March 2005 Almost two years after the US-led war ousted the Baath regime, Iraq is still struggling to meet prewar production levels at its dilapidated oil fields. Iraq’s southern oil fields, which accounted for the majority of prewar production of 2.8 million barrels per day, are currently managing just 1.85 million b/d — and even this rate is causing great distress to reservoirs, Iraq’s interim Oil Minister Thamer al-Ghadban…

Firms Line Up to Give Iraq Free Services

14 April 2005 The pending appointment of a new government in Iraq — the third since September 2003 — appears unlikely to open the doors to large investments by international oil companies, although the drawing up of a constitution later this year may take them one step closer. But that’s not deterring firms from getting a foot in the door, with some 29 companies signing memorandums of understanding (MOU) with…

Iraqi Officials Replaced In Political Move

1 July 2005 Two of Iraq’s top oil officials have been replaced by the country’s new oil minister, in a move widely regarded as politically motivated. The changes represent the second major shake up of the oil ministry since Ibrahim Bahr al-Uloum was appointed as minister in May, Baghdad sources told International Oil Daily Thursday. Nabil Lamuza, director general of planning and studies, was replaced by an outsider, Fayad Hassan…