Iraqi Minister Begins Oil Sector Turnaround

9 August 2006 More than two months after taking over Iraq’s embattled oil sector and pledging to fight corruption, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani is taking timid steps to put the ministry back on track. Al-Shahristani’s first move has been to oust directors-general who were appointed on political merit or as a result of pressure from influential politicians. The purge involves about six employees who were brought in as directors…

Iraq Takes Heavy Toll on Oil Workers

6 November 2006 Three-and-a-half years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, some companies that had high hopes of business opportunities are shutting up shop after suffering heavy losses. US engineering giant Bechtel, which carried out $2.3 billion of work for the US in Iraq since April 2003, said last week that it was leaving the war-torn country after a spate of violence that killed 52 workers. Bechtel…

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1 July 2005 Two of Iraq’s top oil officials have been replaced by the country’s new oil minister, in a move widely regarded as politically motivated.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…

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…