Iraqi Oil Officials Weigh US Policy Role

7 May 2003 With current efforts in Iraq’s oil sector focusing on near-term repairs and restoration, cooperation between officials from the US and Iraq is proceeding smoothly. But Iraqi oil technocrats appear more skeptical about cooperation with the US on long-term policy, according to soundings by International Oil Daily in Baghdad. There is already internal debate among Iraqi officials about the correct course for the industry going forward, with some…

Oil Veteran Appointed to Get Iraqi Industry Back on Track

6 May 2003 The US-led Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance in Iraq (ORHA) on Saturday announced the appointment of the director general of planning at the Iraqi oil ministry, Thamer al-Ghadban, as chief executive of the interim management team for the Iraqi oil sector. It did not set a timeframe for the interim management of the oil ministry and companies under its auspices, which al-Ghadban will also be in…

Early Power Play Points to Iraq Challenges

22 April 2003 Intriguing power plays erupting in postwar Iraq underline the conundrum faced by Opec when it meets later this week to plot out a production strategy that ministers hope will stave off a price collapse before the group has to make room for Iraqi oil exports. But further delays to the establishment of an interim Iraqi administration to oversee the short-term rehabilitation of the country’s oil sector could…