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…

Solo Efforts

4 July 2002 Iraq is developing its oil fields with or without foreign help — including the giant fields promised to companies such as France’s Total Fina Elf and Russia’s Lukoil. But the firms are always welcome to hop on board, Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Rashid says. Under a “national effort” launched in 1999, Iraq brought the giant southern Majnoon oil field on stream last year, Rashid says. The field…